Page 29 - IB November 2019

Sports

PNG has booked a ticket to the T20 World Cup Photo: ICC
PNG BARRAMUNDIS MAKE

CRICKET HISTORY

By Alipate Pareti game.
While ‘traditional’ cricket may not feature in any ‘most popular Pacific sports’
“We’re going to the big dance”. These were the words of Papua New Guinea’s star lists, the achievements of the PNG Barramundis have shown its potential for young
bowler, Charles Jordan Amini after the PNG Barramundis made history by becom- Pacific Islanders.
ing the first Pacific island country to qualify for Twenty20 (T20) Cricket World Cup. It’s an opportunity not missed by others. Indian cricket star, Ashwin Ravichandra
Congratulations soon poured in from Cricket PNG and sports fans all over the observed following the Barramundi’s victory: “So PNG qualifies for the T20 World
region after PNG’s unlikely victory over Kenya at the qualifying tournament in Cup. It’s amazing to see the game expanding globally and will surely bring more
Dubai in late October. young ones to play the great game.”
At one stage in the match against Kenya, PNG was sitting at just 19 runs for six Encouragement of future generations should be the focus of cricket federations
wickets inside four overs. At that point it seemed all hopes of qualifying were a mere in PNG and around the region. And like every ambition we pursue in life, a little
whisper in the wind, impossible to hear. However, in a brave comeback, the Papua support and dedication in terms of preparation is essential for the fruits to mature in
New Guineans dug deep. Norman Vanua made 54 runs in 48 balls, and the team due time for harvest.
made a respectable 118 for their innings. For his part, PNG bowler Norman Vanua advised young, upcoming Barramundis
The Kenyans followed, but were able to amass just 73 runs. PNG captain Assad currently at the development stage that “talent can only take you so far, but you have
Vala was the best performing bowler, taking three wickets for just seven runs. to put in the hard yards.”
PNG coach Joe Dawes said he was ecstatic with his team’s performance and that The new, shortened version of the game such as T20, may present real opportu-
all their hard work had paid off. nities for Pacific teams, in the same way our countries excel in sevens rugby, and can
“For me, it was really pleasing to see the boys get out and execute what we have struggle in the full-length version of the game. In fact, PNG coach Joe Dawes said,
worked for in the past 18 months. Good muscle we had in Dubai is really combina- “we knew Twenty20 was our format.”
tion of 18 months of real hard work and [I’m] proud of what the boys [have] done There is some form. T20 cricket was an official sport at the Pacific Games in
and …of being part of this special moment.” Samoa this year. PNG’s men team won gold in Apia, with Vanuatu taking the silver
It was through blistering determination, perseverance and dedication that the and Samoa the bronze medals. In the women’s competition, Samoa took gold,
Barramundis were able to succeed. “We sat for 18 months and talked about what we followed by PNG and Vanuatu. A Fiji women’s team and New Caledonian men also
wanted to achieve and do what we needed to do. The boys worked really hard and we competed in Samoa.
did it to make our dream come through”, said Coach Dawes. Kilikiti, a traditional game resembling cricket, is the national sport of Samoa. Sur-
Barramundi’s Captain Assad Vala was pleased with his team, particularly with the prisingly, the Australian and New Zealand national cricket associations, unlike their
opening batsmen, who did not disappoint by scoring boundaries when it mattered rugby union and league cousins, have not taken advantage of the Pacific Islanders
most. who arrived with the basic skills required (gained in this loose form of the game) for
The team received a warm hero’s welcome on their return from Dubai. Crowds top-level players when they migrated from Samoa in the 1970s and 80s.
converged at Jackson’s International Airport in Port Moresby to show their support New Zealand Black Cap, Lutero Ross Taylor has previously said he thinks his
and appreciation for the team’s historic achievements. It was another memorable Samoan heritage should be promoted more to encourage more young Pacific athletes
moment for the Barramundis. to try the game.
Prior to their victory in Dubai, no Papua New Guinea men’s cricket team had ever
played at a major International Cricket Council tournament, in any format of the sports@islandsbusinss.com

Islands Business, November 2019 29