Rivals Return As International Cricket Makes Comeback

Familiar names, faces and colors return as PNG gear up for a busy block of international cricket, following a domestic tour of Australia which saw the Hebou PNG Barramundies take on three Australian state teams on Queensland's Sunshine Coast and compete in the 4th annual West End Rebacks League, across Adelaide and Darwin. Before starting on the approaching international summer, lets recap the Barramundies tour of QLD and take a closer look at the West End Rebacks League campaign.

Hebou Barramundies Tour Of QLD: PNG kick started their domestic tour of Australia playing three matches against Australian State sides on the beautiful Sunshine Coast. Tasmaina, Western Australia and Queensland all provided strong tests for a youthful Barramundies side missing some big names. The first match saw the Barras go down to Tasmainia by six wickets, a strong bowling performance from the Tigers had PNG in early trouble however a fighting 50 from Norman Vanua pushed the Barramundies to a defendable total. John Reva bagged three wickets but it wasn't enough as a full strength Tasmania claimed victory.
Match two saw PNG go head to head with Western Australia in a run fest, chasing 324 for victory the Barramundies fell agonizingly close, going down by just 14 runs. Vani Morea smashed 96 runs whilst the other top order players all got starts, however a late collapse saw the Warriors prevail. Norman Vanua was the standout with the ball taking 4 wickets. Queensland was the final opponent on a slow and low Sunshine Coast wicket. Australian Test batsman Joe Burns scored a classy hundred as the Bulls made 243. A top order collapse saw the Barramundies in big trouble but fighting knocks from Norman Vanua (35) and Dogodo Bau (29) plus a lower order revival saw PNG to a respectable 163. The matches provided the team much needed first class experience against quality players and will only help them in the long run.
SACA West End Rebacks League:
The 4th Annual West End Rebacks League saw the Hebou Barramundies play six 50 over matches and two 2-day matches across Darwin and Adelaide. The return of both Willie Gavera and Tony Ura gave the side a much needed boost in both experience and performance.  This proved to be the most successful SACA competition ever, the Barramundies won four matches, lost one and drew three. With so many matches its hard to pinpoint the standout performers however master blaster and skipper Assad Vala finished as one of the tournaments leading run scorers (335 runs average 55) including one century, whilst fast bowler Willie Gavera took 15 wickets at an average of 12 including a best of 4/34 against the Northern Territory. What was the most encouraging sign however was the depth shown by PNG players. All batsman scored runs at some point throughout the campaign with Sese Bau scoring a spectacular century against the NT. Vani Morea, Tony Ura and Lega Siaka where all consistent performers as well. The SACA campaign always provides quality competition and this time has provided perfect preparation for the upcoming home series against Namibia.

Hebou PNG Barramundies International Series v Namibia Preview: 
4 - Day ICC Intercontinental Cup match: Sunday 16th October - Wednesday 19th October
ICC WCL 50 over Championship Matches: Friday 21st October & Sunday 23rd October
Preview:
Head to Head (Since 2011) - 50 overs (PNG 1, Namibia 1) T20 (PNG 1, Namibia 1)
Squads: Hebou PNG Barramundies - Assad Vala (c), Tony Ura, Vani Vagi Morea, Mahuru Dai, Sese Bau, Dogodo Bau (w/k), Lega Siaka, John Reva, Norman Vanua, Chad Soper, Willie Gavera, Nosiana Pokana, Hiri Hiri, Alei Nao.
Namibia: Unavailable
Key Points:  Namibia make the trip from Southern Africa to Port Moresby to take on the PNG Barramundies in what shapes to be a very intriguing series. Both sides are very evenly matched and widely considered the two most physical sides in associate cricket. The Namibians blessed with raw strength and power, whilst the Papuans possess speed and natural flair. A three match series sees Amini Park play host to its first ever 4-Day ICC sanctioned match, which is sure to bring delight to the PNG public.  The series has added context particularly in the 50 over matches wins to either side will rocket them up the ladder in a critical competition.
In The Spotlight (Key Players): For Namibia a lot will rest on opener Stephan Baard. A quality right handed batsman who has represented Boland in the South African domestic competition. Baard single handily dismantled the PNG attack in there most recent match up last year in the T20WCQ. That very tournament he was the leading run scorer, scoring 309 runs. For PNG I've gone with crafty left hander Sese Bau. Sese has for a long time been a player of huge potential and its starting to come full circle. A brilliant hundred against the Northern Territory last week has shown what hes capable of.
Namibia's Strengths and Weaknesses: Namibia's big strength is there experience in the longer format of the game having competed in the South African provincial 3-day competition for nearly 10 seasons now. Aside from that the big match winners for them lies in the batting. Stepehen Baard, Criag Williams and Gary Synman are all very experienced talented players. If Namibia get going they can take the match away in a session. The weakness however is their bowling line up. Namibia arent blessed with any out and out quick's, meaning they rely heavily on crafty medium paces and part time spinners.
Papua New Guinea's Strengths and Weaknesses: PNG's biggest strength also happens to be their biggest weakness. The Barramundies poses a strong batting line up that on their day can take it to any attack, however sometimes it proves to be one out all out. However when on song its very hard to stop. Assad Vala, Sese Bau and Lega Siaka have all proven to be century makers, whilst Tony Ura, Vani Morea and master blaster Mahuru Dai can all score runs quickly and clear the boundary with ease.
The Way I See It (Prediction): I refuse to make a prediction for the 4 - Day match as I just don't know enough about either side in the longer format of the game with both sides so evenly matched its to hard to call. However as for the 50 over matches home advantage should prove to be the difference. The beauty of having ball in hand on a home pitch will prove priceless for the PNG Barramundies, the return of fast bowler Willie Gavera has given the Barra's an attack to be feared. Namibia cannot be written off either but they just don't poses the bowling attack PNG have, with the Barramundi batsman in such good form its hard to see this series going any other way.

Sese Bau is in great form 

Coming next the big one PNG v Hong Kong ODI series Preview, Bless.

The dangerous Stepehen Baard

Barramundies Stacked Summer

Its been a while between drinks for the cricketing public in Papua New Guinea, but a wait well worth it. A stacked summer of matches, competitions and training sees the Hebou PNG Barramundies board, players and staff enter the professional phase of their careers. One thing is evident that cricket in Papua New Guinea has gone to another level. Players are now on professional contacts and train full time throughout the week, there are more coaches involved then ever with specific roles and structures in place, facilities have increased to international standard which saw Port Moresby host its first international matches in June and media coverage has been bigger then ever.

The upcoming summer is without a doubt the busiest and perhaps most important and professional then ever. Running from late August right through till perhaps early June next year.  Lets take a look at the confirmed upcoming fixtures and discuss each series.
Firstly this is the squad that has been announced for the upcoming tour of Qld and the West End Rebacks League, discussing the changes that have happened.
Squad: 1. Assad Vala (Captain) 2. Mahuru Dai 3. Lega Siaka 4. Vani Vagi Morea 5. Kiplin Doriga 6. Hiri Hiri 7. Dogodo Bau (Wicketkeeper) 8. John Boge Reva 9. Chad Soper 10. Jason Kila 11. Norman Vanua 12. Nosiana Pokana 13. Alei Nao 14. Sese Bau
(*Note this squad is subject to change for WCLC Championship, Intercontinental Cup and ODI matches)
There is a few changes to the squad that took on Kenya earlier this year. The most notable and obvious one is the loss of captain and wicket keeper Jack Vare who ruptured his ACL shortly after the Kenya series. ACL rehabs take close to a year to fully recover from so this is a big blow to the Barramundies however youngster and former U19 Garramuts captain Dogodo Bau comes into the side. Nicknamed 'Sosty' he actully spent last year living with me and playing for my club Sandgate-Redcliffe in the Queensland Premier Grade Competition where he played both 1st and 2nd grade and finished the season with most dismissals for a wicket keeper. A quality batsman as well he is a more then capable replacement for Jack. Kiplin Doriga also comes into the squad due to Tony Ura having visa issues. Tony was set to make a comeback following a year off due to a shoulder injury. Kiplin is a top order batsman and has spent time playing in the Victoria Premier Grade Competition last season again very young only 20 years old. The other notable loss in that of Charles Amini Jnr who has a severe ankle sprain meaning hell miss the initial tour but hopefully be right for the home series against Namibia. The squad also sees Jason Kila return after a few years out of the national setup. So a youthful Barramundies squad missing some big names but still a good sign for the future with these youngsters pushing through.

New Barramundi Dogodo Bau

Kiplin Dorigia is set to become a Barramundi

Confirmed Upcoming Fixtures:
Hebou PNG Barramundies Tour of QLD:
August 31st : PNG v Tasmania , September 2nd: PNG v Western Australia, September 5th: PNG v Queensland. 
The first of many matches kicks of in Qld on the beautiful sunshine coast. where Cricket Australia announced recently that PNG will play three of the Australian state teams in 50 over matches. Each state has announced their respective squads and whilst they might be missing some of their bigger names to representative honors (Australia, Australia A and NPS) this will still provide a big opportunity for the Barramundies players to prove to Cricket Australia that they have what it takes to play in Australian domestic competitions and at the highest level. Wins against these state sides could well open the door for not only PNG players but also a PNG team in some form of Australian domestic competition.

West End Rebacks League:
September 17th: PNG v Southern Force (50 overs), September 18th: PNG v Nothern Mavericks (50 overs) , September 24th: PNG v Eastern Edge (50 overs), September 25th: PNG v Western Grit (50 overs), October 2nd: PNG v Eastern Edge (50 overs), October 3rd: PNG v Northern Territory (50 overs), 5th October and 6th October: PNG v Northern Terriorty (2 Day Match), October 8th and October 9th: PNG v Western Grit (2 Day match)
Digicel PNG Barramundies will again compete in the West End Rebacks League which is been renamed from the original SACA Premier League. The Competition will again kick off in Darwin which sees PNG play four 50 over matches against each of the South Australian representative sides. These sides boast a number of big names with Australian internationals Travis Head and Adam Zampa just to name a few and will again provide quality cricket on world class facilities. From there the boys will travel down to Adelaide to continue the competition but this time in the longer form of the game. Following a further two 50 over matches PNG will play two 2 day matches against the Northern Territory and Western Grit. This is the Digicel Barramundies fourth year in the South Australian run competition and will provide ideal preparation for the home series against Namibia.
Namibia Tour of Papua New Guinea:  
October 17th-October 20th: PNG v Namibia (4-day match), October 22nd: PNG v Namibia (50 overs), October 24: PNG v Namibia (50 overs). 
Amini Park will again see its slice of exciting cricketing action when Namibia tour PNG later in October. The tour will see Amini Park host its first four day match in the ICC intercontinental cup competition and whilst this is an important match for the Barramundies one eye will remain firmly on the two 50 over fixtures to follow. This is a huge series in terms of status in the WCLC championship competition. A clean sweep of Namibia will see PNG rocket up to 2nd on the table. With some of the tougher teams to follow this series has added context. Namibia and Papua New Guinea have a similar history with the sides sharing a 2-2 win/loss rate in recent years. As described in the 2015 WT20 qualifier both sides are considered the most physical in the Associate cricking world. Namibia are big strong African boys who hit the ball hard and bowl back of a length intimidating lines, whilst the Barramundi boys are natural athletes blessed with speed, athleticism and flair that most Melanesians posses. Shapes to be a great series in front of family and friends and provide the cricketing public in Papua New Guinea the match needed matches it deserves.
Papua New Guinea Tour of Hong Kong: 
November 4th: PNG v HK (ODI match), November 6th: PNG v HK (ODI match), November 8th: PNG v HK (ODI match). 
The Barramundies will return to ICC approved international cricket when they tour Hong Kong quickly after the Namibia series wraps up at home. The Mong Kok cricket ground will host 3 ODI's in a much needed boost to PNG cricket on the international stage. This will be the Barramundies third to fifth ODI's all of which have been played against Hong Kong, with the last series being played in Townsville in November 2014, which PNG won 2-0. The conditions in Hong Kong are not alien to most of the Barramundies players having played there in 2011 during ICC WCL Division Three tournament. PNG and HK have developed a fierce rivalry on the field with a number of close matches throughout the last few years, most notable HK beating the Barramundies in Dubai 2013 to go through to the T20WC 2014. However as fierce as the rivalry is on the field the players are great friends off it and its great to see how far both nations have come together since division 3 in 2011. No doubt this is going to be an entertaining series (which will be streamed live online for PNG fans) and hopefully one that sees the Barramundies climb back up the international rankings (currently 16th) and provide the players with the much deserved international sanctioned matches they train so hard for.
Confirmed Unconfirmed Series v UAE
February - June 2017: Two x 50 over matches, One x 4-Day Match. 
As misleading as the title is this series is confirmed against the United Arab Emirates, however the specific dates are yet to be finalized. The matches will be played as part of both ICC run tournaments the ICC WCL Championship (50 overs) and the ICC Intercontinental Cup (4-day). Matches will be played in the UAE which is certinaley no stranger to PNG having played in 4 major tournaments there across the last 5 years. (2011 WCL Div 2, WT20Q 2012, WT20Q 2013 and U19 CWC 2014). Again a critical series particularly in the 50 over matches, the UAE haven't been travelling to well in this tournament but at home provide a much sterner challenge. 

PNG v Kenya Series Preview

Well we are now under 2 weeks away until history is made. Exciting times are ahead for not only PNG cricket but also for the country of Papua New Guinea in general. Amini Park in Port Moresby will host its first ICC sanctioned international event with Kenya visiting the country to play two 50 over international matches against the Barras as part of the ICC WCL Championships round 3. 

First and foremost lets take a look at the squad: 

1. Jack Vare (c, w/k)  2. Assad Vala (v/c)  3. Vani vagi Morea  4. Lega Siaka 5. Mahuru Dai  6. Charles Amini Jnr  7. Hiri Hiri  8. Norman Vanua  9. Nosiana Pokana  10. Alei Nao  11. Pipi Raho  12. Chad Soper  13. John Reva 14. Sese Bau Reserves: Vagi Boko, Jason Kila, Damien Ravu and Gaudi Toka.

There is a few changes from the squad that took on Ireland earlier this year. Firstly Tony Ura is out after having surgery on a shoulder injury, whilst Loa Nou has been overlooked for selection. The new face is Alei Nao a young right arm fast bowler ,  whilst  experienced pace man Pipi Raho returns to the side.  The first thing that jumps out in this squad is the inexperience (at international level). Youngsters Hiri Hiri, Nosiana Pokana and Chad Soper only made there debuts late last year or early this year, whilst Alei Nao is uncapped. This is however due to forced changes with Tony Ura (injury), Willie Gavera (Injury) and Kila Pala (Personal) all unavailable for selection. 

 

Probable Line up: The squad posses 5 specialist batsman, 5 fast bowlers and 4 all rounders. 

1. Vani Vagi Morea 2. Lega Siaka 3. Assad Vala 4. Sese Bau 5. Mahuru Dai  6. CJ Amini 7. Jack Vare 8. John Reva 9. Norman Vanua 10. Chad Soper 11. Nosiana Pokana 

This would mean Pipi Raho, Alei Nao and Hiri Hiri miss out

The Ground/Conditions: Little is known of Amini Park and this will certainly seem alien to the visiting Kenyans. PNG allrounder Mahuru Dai had this to say about the pitches we might see during these matches “Amini Park is best suited for spinners because it’s a bit lower and slow, so the ball tends to grip for the spinners and you can get good turn,” he said. PNG is well equipet is this is the case with Dai (off spin) Assad Vala (off spin) Hiri Hiri (off spin) and CJ Amini (leg spin) all regular spinning options. Being hosts also gives the PNG boys a big advantage, week in week out matches on the Amini Park surface will equip the locals with much needed knowledge.

Where PNG win it: First and foremost knowledge of the conditions that Amini Park equipts. Home ground advantage especially in cricket is critical, also with this being the the first international match in front of family and friends will surely give the players that extra drive to go one better. In cricket terms PNG's biggest advantage is the amount of all rounders in the starting 11. Assad Vala, Mahuru Dai, Sese Bau, CJ Amini and John Reva can all do the job effectively with both bat all ball, this gives PNG plenty of bowling options plus batting deep. 

Where PNG lose it: Its no secret that PNG has struggled with the bat over the past 12 months or so. With the exception of Assad Vala and Mahuru Dai the middle order has particularity struggled. This is something the Kenyans will target the barras middle order will have to stand up.

The X Factor: PNG has a number of potential X-Factors within the squad. Weather that be the destructive batting of Lega Siaka, the calm presence of Assad Vala or the crafty abilities of Mahuru Dai. PNG has a number of players that can turn a match on its head. If gone with two not one players who potential could be the difference. The first is Norman Vanua. Norman has been the standout bowler for the Barramundies over the last year or so,constant wickets up front and quality at the death he has really lead the attack, also PNG's fastest bowler. As we've also seen his more then handy with the bat down the order to. The 2nd player is big Nosiana Pokana. "Nos" made his debut early this year against Ireland and didn't disappoint in the matches he played. As something difference being a tall left armer iv'e gone with him as the second X-Factor if he and Norman can start the Barras off well it will go a long way to PNG winning.

The Final Word: I find it hard to see PNG losing either of these matches on home soil, with Kenya having never experienced PNG before it will certainly seem alien to them. Kenya do posses a strong squad that has experience at the highest level in the WC, they can not be underestimated. But with this being the first "international" matches at Amini Park in front of family and friends, with solid training and preparation i only see this going the way of the Barras. Good luck boys.