Barras bag gold with victory over Vanuatu

THE Papua New Guinea Barramundis beat Vanuatu by 32 runs in the Pacific Games men’s cricket final on Saturday, giving the country its 10th gold medal.
The Barras reclaimed the mantle as the No.1 team in the Pacific after their Melanesian rivals shocked them in Port Moresby in 2015.
Vanuatu won the toss and sent PNG in to bat in the T20 match and the Barras were restricted to 138 runs in conditions that offered bowlers some assistance.
Vanuatu’s run chase struggled with PNG bowlers taking wickets at regular intervals to dismiss them for 105 runs.
“We are very happy to win this gold after losing to Vanuatu at home at the last Games,” PNG captain Assad Vala said.
“We’ve worked really hard for four years to be able to win this medal back.”
In the women’s gold medal match, Samoa defeated PNG for the second Pacific Games in a row.
Samoa won the toss and sent PNG in to bat first. The PNG Lewas scored 72 runs which Samoa chased down with four wickets in hand.
A disappointed PNG captain, Kaia Arua, said: “We fought hard and wanted to win gold but we didn’t. Silver is not bad, but gold would have been better.”
An emotional Arua also revealed that it was her daughter’s birthday.
“I wish she was here to see me play and win this silver medal, especially as it’s her birthday today and a birthday without a mum is hard, but I did it for her and for my country.” In the men’s bronze medal match, Samoa comfortably defeated New Caledonia by 157 runs.
Samoa won the toss and elected to bat first, amassing a huge total of 241. New Caledonia’s chase was nowhere near as they posted just 84 runs from 20 overs.
The medal matches attracted a healthy crowd of supporters and fellow athletes at Faleata Cricket Ovals on a sunny Saturday afternoon to cheer on their countrymen and women.
– gamesnewsservice