Barras fight hard on day 2

Sports

SCOTLAND finished day two of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Intercontinental Cup (ICUP) round 6 fixture on 189/4 after Papua New Guinea were bowled for 404 at lunch.
Starting the day at 285/7, Chad Soper (60) and Norman Vanua (64) frustrated the Scotland bowling, putting on 93 runs for the eighth wicket before Soper was caught behind off the bowling of Chris Sole.
Damien Ravu, playing in his first match for the Hebou-sponsored PNG Barramundis then continued on where Soper left off, making a valuable 32 runs, adding 41 runs for the ninth wicket before Vanua was dismissed.
Ravu and Nosiana Pokana then chipped away, taking the total beyond 400, before Ravu was bowled by Michael Leask to eventually be dismissed all out for 404 at lunch.
Safyaan Sharif was the pick of the Scottish bowlers taking 4-94 off 26 overs, while Leask (2-40) and Alasdair Evans (2-99) both picked up two wickets.
In reply, Scotland got off to a brilliant start with Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer (24) and George Munsey (53) adding 64 runs for the opening wicket before off-spinner Mahuru Dai dismissed Coetzer.
Calum Macleod (49) then joined Munsey to take the score beyond 100 before Munsey was caught behind off the bowling of Soper for 53.
MacLeod was then trapped leg before wicket by Dai shortly after and when Soper dismissed Matthew Cross (10), Scotland fell to 167/4.
Richie Berrington (29 not out) and Craig Wallace (12 not out) were then able to take Scotland to 189/4 at stumps yesterday, still trailing PNG by 215 runs in the first innings.
“It was really good to contribute to the team today. I wanted to fight hard for the boys (with the bat) and didn’t want to get out. It was really good to get some runs out there and take some wickets today,” Chad Soper said.
“I think we did well to get past 300 and then we set goals like getting 10 runs and to get 400 on that wicket was very good. Our aim is to take wickets at regular intervals tomorrow and to keep it very simple.”
The ICup third day starts at will commence at 10:00am at Amini Park, with the Papua New Guinea looking to bowl out Scotland below 404 and take first innings points.
Match Summary
1st Innings
PNG 404 (Norman Vanua 64, Chad Soper 60, Sese Bau 51, Lega Siaka 48, Jack Vare-Kevere 42, Damien Ravu 32; Safyaan Sharif 4-94, Michael Leask (2-40, Alasdair Evans 2-99)
Scotland 189/4 (George Munsey 53, Calum Macleod 49, Richie Berrington 29 not out, Craig Wallance 12 not out;  Chad Soper 2-27, Mahuru Dai 2-30).