WA set up a huge target for EAP

Western Australia (WA) skipper Rodney Ford won the toss at Urana Oval and decided to bat first on a good batting wicket with hot conditions greeting the players on day one of the two-day match against East Asia Pacific (EAP).

EAP opening bowlers Loa Nou and Willie Gavera started well and were rewarded for some good pace bowling when Gavera knocked left-hander Justin Woods for 18 to have WA at 25-1. This triggered a collapse for Western Australia as it lost five wickets for 20 runs in just 12 overs. First change bowler Sakaria Lomani (Fiji) returned his best figures for the EAP side when he collected two quick wickets to have WA at 48-5 at lunch.

EAP missed some early chances after lunch including two dropped chances to centurion Nick Willis, one at slip when he was on one run. The side is unfamiliar to the two-day format as six players are currently playing their first game of the version.

"This is great development for our players playing two-day cricket and we have shown we have what it takes to take on the best players, but we must play for the full 100 overs a day or a side can do what WA did to us today and brought themselves back into the game," EAP coach Charlie Burke said.

"We must get off to a good start tomorrow and ensure we win the first session to set us up for the day. We have changed the batting order a little bit from the one-day format and believe we have a strong batting order"

EAP did not bowl well late in the day and let WA into the game with some poor fielding, missed chances and some good batting from its opponents. WA finished the day 311 all out.

EAP will bat on Friday and have 100 overs to chase down the total on a good batting wicket and a warm day with the temperature expected to be above 40.

Brief scores:

Western Australia 311 (Willis 130 not out, Lomani 3/47, Gavera 2/60, Nou 2/60, Amini 1/26, Matautava 1/28)