Samoan women preparing for big challenge

The Samoan national women's team are about embark on their first step towards the Women's T20 world Cup in 2014 when they take part in the first qualifying tournament in Vanuatu this May.

Samoa will compete with the hosts, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Japan and the Cook Islands with the winner advancing to the World Cup qualifying event in 2013.

Only two years ago Samoa didn't have a national women's team but thanks to the relationship between Auckland Cricket and the Samoan International Cricket Association that all changed in April 2010:

"We travelled to Samoa for a staff conference and while we there we had a game with some of the Samoan cricket officials" said Maia Lewis, who now coaches the Samoan national side as well as the Auckland Hearts. "Then conversations developed from there."

"We managed to get a side together for the first time and competed against Fiji in a series to decide who would qualify for a tournament in Japan in May that year - similar to the one we are going to play in Vanuatu this May.

We defeated Fiji and before we knew it we were in Japan but unfortunately we didn't advance further mainly due to the current Hearts co-coach Katrina Keenan who was playing for Japan in the tournament, which they won comfortably."

While that tournament was a fantastic learning experience for all involved, Lewis is expecting her side to do more than just make up the numbers on this occasion:

"The first advantage we have is that the tournament will be T20 rather than one-dayers and that really suits the Samoan style of play. We are also putting together a very strong squad with several representative players from New Zealand involved and I really think that as long as we can gel as a team we can be confident of competing with the other sides."

Lewis will lead a squad of 14 to the tournament which will include at least six players currently residing in the country:

"A few years ago their was very little domestic women's cricket played in Samoa. They had a one off, one week tournament every year but that was about it. Now they have a full league competition being played each Saturday and from that they have picked a training squad of 12 from which a large part of our squad for Vanuatu will be selected."

A similar training squad has been established in Auckland with a further group of players being selected from trial sessions earlier this month. These trials have given Lewis some serious talent to work with, led by Regina Lili'i from the Auckland Hearts:

"Regina is very experienced and has been a member of the Hearts squad for two years now as well as the New Zealand Emerging Players. While that was a great honour for her she has now decided to commit to Samoa which is great news for the team. She will be a real leader for the side and the T20 format will suit her middle order batting, death bowling and outstanding fielding."

Lily Mulivai is another player who has been recognised by the Hearts having taken part in the winter programme this last off season. She is known for her talent as a strike bowler while Central West bowler Fou Charteris will bring plenty of premier grade experience to the squad.

Joining these players will be Maddy Chapman who opens the batting for Wellington U21s and has featured for the Wellington Blaze this season, and Hana Mauafa who has represented Canterbury U21s and the Magicians.

With only nine weeks to go before the tournament begins on May 14th the preparations are in full swing for Lewis and both training squads:

"The Samoan based players are training twice a week and I will be visiting them in early April to get an idea of how they compare with the players here. The Auckland based squad are training each Wednesday night as well as playing their Saturday cricket and we are hoping to arrange a practice game against an Auckland Maori side for this weekend.

"I will then have the job of selecting the 14 who will travel to Vanuatu. The hardest thing then will be getting them together as a group. Before we went to Japan one of the girls put the entire squad up in her house, it would be nice to do something similar this time to give the squad a chance to gel before the tournament and hopefully we can fit in a practice game in Vanuatu before the tournament begins."

AUCKLAND BASED PLAYERS TRAINING SQUAD:

Papaloa (Laura) Eliu
Narelle Apa
Fale Niufafo
Feala Vaelua
Lia Bourne
Ruta Urika
Shaz Fuimaono
Chelle Tupai
Fou Charteris
Julia Vito
Maddy Chapman
Regina Lili'i
Lily Mulivai