By CHARLIE DUMAVI
Into day three of the East Asia Pacific (EAP) on Tuesday PNG is on an unbeaten campaign after beating Vanuatu by 9 wickets followed by their 117 runs victory over Philippines making them the top ranked in the tournament.
PNG Captain Asaddollah Vala, who is pleased with his side’s performance so far, said it is yet too early to say they are going to book a spot in the 2024 World Cup. However, he said they are taking a game at a time to do their part on the pitch for the country and dynamic fans that keep on cheering them from the stands.
Vala expressed that to get the win against Japan is a boost for them as they prepare the remainder of the games.“We are trying to go game by game.
We are really focused on trying to execute our plants and do the little things we need to do to get the result. We just need to play our part. The fans and the family are doing their part, so hopefully, we can make them cheer more in the next games,” Vala said.
The win against Japan is even special for PNG’s left-handed bowler, Sema Kamea, who made his second appearance with Barras side today and was awarded the man of the match from his performance on the pitch.
“It’s my first time to play in front of the home crowd, and I was a little nervous, but my family came and supported me to play,” Kamea said.“It is my first time also to receive the men of the match awards, and I am very happy to play again in front of my family.” The tournament started on Saturday, July 22, 2023, with only three more games left to play to see the country with most wins qualify directly to the 2024 ICC Cricket World Cup in India.PNG will play Vanuatu today (Wednesday, July 26, 2023) at 9 am, while Japan will take on the Philippines at 1: 30 pm.Vanuatu has recorded three loses so far after going down to the Philippines yesterday. However, the side is determined to come out stronger on their remaining games.
