Fiji Players Shine in Moresby
PNG have beaten a combined EAP All-Star team including former Australian player Brad Hogg by 8 wickets on Amini Park. On the other ground a combined Vanuatu/Fiji team easily accounted for Japan.
Fiji players performed beautifully in both matches showing good 50 over form that they can take into World Cricket Division 6 in September.
A 71 run opening stand by captain Jo Rika (FIJ) and Ko Irie (JPN) got the EAP All-Stars off to a terrific start against a PNG side missing a few key strike bowlers. Rika ended up as top scorer for the All-Stars with 36.
The Dismissal of Rika brought cricketing legend Brad Hogg to the crease and he wasted no time getting off the mark. However after he reached 8 runs he was trapped LBW off the bowling of John Boge Reva in a moment the 20-year-old will remember for the rest of his life.
"It was really exciting to get him out, a real highlight for me," said Reva.
Hogg also paid tribute to Reva after the match saying he was impressed with the young bowler.
"It was just spot on bowling (that got me) and is just one of those things, he swung it in and the umpire gave me out and off I went," he said. "The talent in this region is exceptional and it will be interesting to see how develops over the next five or ten years."
Mahura Dai and Tony Ura then gave PNG further control of the match with the ball for PNG taking 5 wickets between them to have the All-Stars in trouble at 8-173. Knowing that they needed a score well above 200 to be competitive Maciu Gauana (FIJ) and Nalin Nipiko (VAN) put together a terrific 50 run 8th wicket partnership to get the score up to a very competitive 227.
It was business as usual for PNG early as Assad Vala and Tony Ura took to the bowling of the EAP side with the ease they have shown all week. Vala ended with 50 and Ura 34.
However as has become common practice for the PNG side once a couple of stars depart others step up and in this case it was 18-year-old Sese Bau whose 71 not out proved to be the match winning innings for PNG as they passed the EAP total with 8 wickets in hand in 36.3 overs. Mahuru Dai capped off his 3 wickets with a fine 56 not out.
Brad Hogg and Simpson Obed claimed one wicket each for the visitors.
On Colts Cricket Ground a combined Fiji/Vanuatu squad got off to a flyer against Japan thanks to Fiji's Sekove Ravoka who went on to fall agonizingly short of a century out for 92.
Japan fought back hard in the middle stages of the innings taking 4-30 and sharing the wickets around their bowlers.
However like on Amini it was Fiji players to the rescue as Josefa Balecicia (46) and Vilikesa Nailolo (50 not out) lifted the scoring rate dramtically to take the side to 7-270 off their 50 overs. For Japan Fuhihiko Uegaki was the best of the bowlers taking 3-43.
Japan batted positively early with openers Qureshi Naeemuddin and Naoki Miyaji scoring runs freely, however as has been the problem all week for Japan a number of batsman got a start but failed to go on with it.
They eventually succumbed to some tight bowling from Vilikesa Nailolo (FIJ) and Joji Bulabalavu (FIJ) to be all out in 45.1 overs for 173. Captain Tatsuro Chino was the best for Japan with 36 not out.
"The EAP Team batted really well today and Sekove?s 92 of 79 balls was a fantastic knock," said Tom Evans who coached the combined Fiji/Vanuatu side.
Speaking about Japan he said;
"Japan's batting effort was much improved getting to 173 and Chino was suburb and was the backbone of the innings."
On what he witnessed throughout the day and in previous events he has been a part of in PNG, Brad Hogg was full of praise for the competing teams.
"I'm very happy with the enthusiasm that these guys show, it's what cricket is all about," said Hogg. "Test playing nations should have a look at the enthusiasm that these sides play with because as a kid that?s the way you want to play your cricket."
"These guys have played seven straight days of cricket and they are still laughing and enjoying it out there, and even though they are from different countries and take the mickey out of each other a bit they go out and compete and have fun."
Brief scores:
At Amini Park: EAP All-Stars 10-227, 49.5 overs (J Rika 36, M Gauna 34; M Dai 3-27, T Ura 2-21)
PNG 2-228, 36.3 overs (S Bau 71 not out, M Dai 56 not out; B Hogg 1-22)
PNG won by 8 wickets
At Colts Cricket Ground: Fiji/Vanuatu 7-270, 50 overs (S Ravoka 92; J Bulabalavu 50 not out, J Balecicia 46; F Uegaki 3-43)
Japan 10-173, 45.1 overs (T Chino 36 not out; V Nailolo 2-13, J Bulabalava 2-22)
Fiji/Vanuatu won by 97 runs