by Fatu Tauafiafi
28/09/09, Apia - Samoa provided the grounds and the weather, while the best 112 cricketers from eight countries in the East Asia Pacific region showcased why more than 3 billion people around the world play and watch the sport each year.
Over the past 8-days, the biggest cricket tournament in the region took place at Samoa’s Garden Ovals. It was also the best opportunity for the ICC to introduce the hugely popular Twenty/20 format to the region. The top 12 cricketers were selected in the EAP All Stars Team. Two Samoans, a Japanese player, two Fijians and the balance from Vanuatu and PNG make up the team.
Local fans and many more internationally through video blogs witnessed a potpourri of cricket in all its facets. Batsmen scoring runs displaying raw power, pristine skill, elegance, ball placement and running between wickets. Bowlers dominating the bat with mixture of pure pace, spin and guile. The fielding athleticism of the Japanese and Indonesians.
And the strategies and pressure on captains and coaches as in the Japan versus Fiji match when it came down to 1-ball left, Fiji needing 1-run while Japan needed the last batsman out to win. All this and more including the rain were on display at Samoa’s Garden Ovals.
In the finals on Friday, much more than the Non World Cricket League trophy was riding on the winner of the Vanuatu and Samoa match. This was the Limited 50-overs 1st/2nd playoff containing the real prize for Samoa, Vanuatu, Cook Islands, Tonga and Indonesia. The winner with a very real chance of graduating to the World Cricket League – Level 8 (PNG our highest nation at Level 3) – and with it more funding, more tournament play, more development and more chances of local players accessing the ICC High Performance structures and investments.
Vanuatu won the toss and quickly elected to bat on what was an excellent batting strip with a fast outfield. It turned out to be match winning decision as the Vanuatu batsmen put the Samoan bowling attack to sword scoring 300 runs.
The chief contributor was again captain Andrew Mansale scoring his second century of the tournament – a magnificent 128. He had excellent support from Damian Smith (43), Jonathan Dunn (46) and Trevor Langa (33). At the break, Samoa’s captain Geoffery Clarke was quietly confident about their chances. The team had scored 305 against Indonesia two days previous “so if we can get a good start and build some partnerships with wickets in hand, then of course we have a chance.”
The match was finely poised when Ben Mailata and Murphy Su’a were at the crease the score 4 for 140 after 23 overs.
The pair accumulated runs by stealing quick singles and hitting bad balls to and over the boundary. At the same time Vanuatu were always on edge and hungry to win, they kept the pressure on the batsmen through attacking field placements, encouragements and livewire chasing of anything coming off the bat. The turning point of the match came some 40-runs later when a minor lapse in concentration saw the dismissal of Ben Mailata for 43. Although big hitting
Faasao Mulivai and Sipiliano Tua still to come, Vanuatu sensed blood and circled mercilessly for the kill.
Although Samoa never gave up, Vanuatu’s dream of making it to the World Cricket League was realised and they fully deserved their victory. Samoa were eventually bowled out for 175 in the 42nd over 126 runs shy of their target. With ni-Vanuatu local reggae group Vatdoro playing ‘I am happy. I’m going home’ in the background, Andrew Mansale and his players now head home satisfied the vision they had in 2000 has been realized in Samoa, 2009.
Paul Myers, a member of Samoa Cricket recalls, “We played Vanuatu in a tournament in 2001 and we beat them comfortably. They had a lot of old guys and expats in that team. A year later Samoa hosted the tournament here in 2002 and we saw that Vanuatu had replaced all those old guys in 2001 with younger players, some as young as 18.
Again we beat them easily. Come the South Pacific Games in Fiji 2003, we met the same players this time a bit older and although we won, it was a really tough match. The difference this time I mentioned to Seb (Kohlhase), Samoa now had same old players and no young ones coming through. Now in 2009, I and some of our executives are looking at where Vanuatu has grown to in the regionand my hat goes out to them for putting in place all those years ago their vision which is now bearing fruit.”
Samoa according to President Seb Kohlhase has achieved its aims even before the first ball was bowled in the finals.
“Our main goal was to go up the rankings and making the finals is just phenomenal. Along the way we have finally, after 10-years of trying, defeated the Cook Islands and that’s historical. With new and younger players coming through, cricket has a vision to become a major sport in Samoa’s sporting landscape. We have clear national and international pathways with lucrative contracts available to players overseas. We just have to build those ‘roads’ so our players have the exposure and right coaching to get them there. It’s exciting times and definitely with cricket, players have a much longer lifespan than in the full contact games.”
For the overall tournament, individual standout performances were made by many, most notably Vanuatu’s captain Andrew Mansale scoring two centuries and his countryman Simpson Obed also reaching triple figures in the 50-overs competition. Fans will remember the power of Faasao Mulivai’s 36 off only 11 balls against Indonesia or PNG’s Kila Pala hitting 40 not out against Japan. Indonesia’s Ethige Silva who single-handedly looked like he was going to hit 300 against Samoa in his entertaining innings of 71.
Fiji’s star batsman Josefa Baba scored 103 in the Twenty/20 competition joining a truly exclusive club of one in the Twenty/20s format where only Chris Gayle of the West Indies has scored a century in the international game. His consistent performances saw him as the only player to be named in both the Twenty/20 and EAP All Stars Teams.
Bowling performances also featured with Papua New Guinea’s pace duo of Willie Gavera and Noa Lou returning exceptional figures seeing both making the Twenty/20 and EAP All Stars team respectively.
Not to be outdone, Cook Islands Pita Tare’s bowling spell of 10 overs, 3 maidens, 6 wickets for 27 was exceptional. Yet it wasn’t so much the number of wickets taken that was special, it was the 0 after ‘sundries’ that was special. “That’s rare at this level of cricket. It’s not often you have that on a scoresheet. It basically means the bowler is on target, had near perfect control and rhythm. It’s a feat I’ll jot down as special in my career”, said match umpire Geoff Clelland.
Last to mention is Samoan local bowler Lautala Fuimoana. His spell of 10-overs, 2 wickets for only 7-runs against the Cook Islands is testament to the cricketing talent in Samoa. At 39-years of age he’s at the top of his game and will probably feature in Samoa’s national team for the next 5-or so years. For his efforts he was selected into the EAP All Stars Team. To be counted as one of the top 12 cricketers in the East Asia Pacific region is excellent reward for Samoa’s most consistent and miserly bowler.
Manager for PNG, Mairi Homosa lauded Samoa’s grounds, “Back home when it rains, our grounds take really long to dry and there are puddles. Here in Samoa, it pours and then within an hour we can go back and play. I been asking Seb to give me the secret so we can apply it back home.
“Seriously, I’m blown away by the grounds and facilities you have here in Samoa. These are the best in the Pacific and even in other countries including NZ and Australia these are right up there with them. It’s been a pleasure being here especially for me as it’s my first time managing our national team. I hope to come back for more tournaments here.”
ICC's Nick Frayne and Charlie Burke officiated at the awards declaring the tournament a huge success. Thanking Samoa International Cricket President Seb Kolhlase and his staff, the Samoan government for the astounding facilities. The tournament was made possible through Pepsi's global sponsorship to cricket development and SamoaTel as the tournament's major sponsor.
AWARDS AND TROPHIES
Winner Twenty/20 Trophy
Papua New Guinea
World Cricket League Winners
Papua New Guinea
Non World Cricket League Winners
Vanuatu
Twenty/20 Player of the Tournament
Chris Amini (PNG)
World Cricket League Player of Tournament
Vani Vagi Morea (PNG)
Non World Cricket League Player of Tournament
Andrew Mansale (Vanuatu)
Twenty/20 All Stars Team
Davies Teinake (CKI), Willie Gavera (PNG), Pipi Raho (PNG), Josefa Baba (FIJ), Assadollah Vala (PNG), Uala Kaisala (SAM), Chris Amini (PNG/cap) Edy Mansale (VAN), Sione Holi (TON), Iniasi Cakacaka (FIJ), Faasao Mulivai (SAM), Damian Smith (VAN).
East Asia Pacific All Stars Team
Vani Vagi Morea (PNG), Tatsuro Chino (JPN), Kila Pala (PNG), Faafetai 'Ben' Mailata (SAM), Loa Nou (PNG), Josefa Baba (FIJ) Tino Etita (CKI), Jonathan Dunn (VAN), Simpson Obed (VAN), Andrew Mansale (VAN/Cap), Sakaraia Lomani (FIJ), Lautala Fuimoana (SAM)