Port Moresby, PNG – The Papua New Guinea Lewas lifted the trophy as champions of the PacificAus Sports Cricket Invitational with PNG, finishing top of the ladder after an emphatic 94-run victory over Samoa Women in the final round of the tournament, beating out the Australian Indigenous XI on net run rate, after both teams finished on 10 points.
The inaugural Cricket Invitational was held at Amini Park, Port Moresby, to contribute to PNG’s 50th Anniversary of Independence. Four teams took part in the week-long T20 tournament, including Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Samoa, and the Australian Indigenous XI.
The tournament began on a challenging note for the PNG Lewas, as they faced a strong Australia Indigenous Women’s side in the opening fixture. Despite putting up a competitive game, the PNG Lewas fell short in their first outing, marking their only loss of the competition with the Australian Indigenous XI, claiming an 8-wicket victory. The defeat, however, served as a wake-up call and fueled a fierce comeback.
On day two, PNG responded with a dominant 35-run victory over Vanuatu. The team executed their game plan flawlessly, with the batters laying a solid platform and the bowlers executing their lines with precision to register their first win of the tournament.
Building on the win momentum, day three saw the PNG Lewas take on Samoa, where the home side once again outclassed their opponents with a four wicket win. Strong performances with both bat and ball allowed PNG to claim back-to-back wins.
The highlight of the tournament came on day four, when the PNG Lewas met Australia Indigenous XI for the second time. With redemption in mind and home fans behind them, the Lewas delivered a competitive game to claim a historic win by two wickets. This victory not only avenged their earlier
defeat but also shifted the tournament dynamics, putting PNG in strong contention for the top spot.
On day five, the PNG Lewas continued their winning streak with another comprehensive performance against Vanuatu. This win pushed them closer to the title, heading into the final day. The tournament concluded on day six with the Lewas facing Samoa once more and sitting on equal points with Australia Indigenous XI. With the championship on the line PNG delivered one of their most dominant displays of the tournament, beating Samoa by 94 runs, to secure the top of the table finish.
PNG Lewas Isabel Toua was named player of the the tournament for her explosive balling skills and her sharp fielding display. Toua was an outstanding player in all six matches contributing to PNG’s wins.
PNG Lewas captain Brenda Hoi Tau after the trophy presentation thanked the Australia Indigenous Team, the Samoa and Vanuatu teams for putting up a tough competition on field. “All the teams we played against were tough, and it really did challenge the PNG Lewas to bring out our skills.
“The feeling of playing against great sports teams and women from different countries brings strength to cricket as a sport and brings nations together. It is a great opportunity not only for me but my team, especially for the young cricketers to experience team work on field and unity, participation and support off field. This is truly a great initiative, and I would like to thank the Australia Government and PacificAus Sports, the Australia High Commission in PNG, Cricket Australia and Cricket PNG for this tournament and for support.”