PNG Barras suffer loss

The Hebou PNG Barramundis suffered a heart-breaking 23-runs loss to Hong Kong in the first match of the ICC World Cricket League Championships (WCLC) round 7 fixture at the ICC Academy Ground 1 yesterday.
Needing a victory to have any chance of winning the WCLC and gain the 13th spot in the new ICC One Day International League, Barramundis won the toss and sent Hong Kong into bat.
Hong Kong got off to a great start reaching 2/125 in the 32nd over, before the Barramundis pegged the Hong Kong batsmen to eventually reduce them to 8/230 off their allotted 50 overs.
Hong Kong captain Babar Hayat was once again the star with the bat scoring 77 runs off 120 while Mahuru Dai (2/34), Alei Nao (2/43), Chad Soper (2/51) and Norman Vanua (2/54) all picked up a couple of wickets for the Barramundis.
In reply, the Hebou PNG Barramundis slumped to 4/29 in the ninth over when captain Assad Vala was trapped leg before wicket for 3 off Aizaz Khan.
Sese Bau and Mahuru Dai then started a rear guard fifth wicket partnership to frustrate the Hong Kong bowlers.
Bau (59) and Dai (60) both made stylish half centuries, putting on 98 runs for the fifth wicket before Dai was dismissed by Nadeem Ahmed.
Jack Vare-Kevere (16), Chad Soper (12) and Norman Vanua (14) all made handy contributions down the lower order to get close to the Hong Kong target but when Damien Ravu (5) was run-out off the last ball off the 47th over, the Barramundis were all out for 207, falling 23 runs short.
In other ICC WCLC Round 7 results, Netherlands defeated Namibia by eight wickets to secure the ICC WCLC with one match remaining, Scotland defeated Kenya by eight wickets and United Arab Emirates defeated Nepal by seven wickets.
Victories by Scotland and Hong Kong have secured their place in 2019 ICC Cricket World Qualifiers in Zimbabwe next year, joining Netherlands and PNG Barramundis.
The Hebou PNG Barramundis have a day off yesterday and are on Hong Kong in their final ICC WCLC round 7 match today at the ICC Academy Ground 1.