Cricket blasts off with T20 Biggie Botaia competition

By MELTON PAIS
The Port Moresby Cricket Association’s Biggie Botaia T20 League is the biggest cricket competition with 29 teams playing 62 matches at nine different venues in the National Capital District and Central.
POMCA vice-president Charles Amini confirmed that the 29 teams would have five weeks of regular competition and then go straight into the knockouts.
They are expecting to wind up the matches in Oct 27.
Amini said they had scheduled weekly games for the matches played in the villages in Central and weekend games for matches in NCD as most of the players from the clubs were students and/or employed.
The competition actually started on Saturday straight after the launch of the Biggie Botaia T20 league at the Vision City Big Roosters out.
“Yesterday a few matches were played in Vabukori and now we are expecting to run more games in Hood Lagoon, Central,” Amini said.
“We have actually scheduled Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday games in Hood Lagoon.
“All morning games have to start at 9.30am and the afternoon games start at 1.30pm,” he added.
Amini said the competition had six pools.
At the end of the zone knockouts, only two teams will advance to play one of the top six premier teams from the recently completed 2018 ITI trophy competition.
Pool 1 – (Hood Lagoon) Keapara, Alukuni, Karawa and Coasters (POMCA premier team); Pool 2 – (Hood Point) Vulaa, Lighthouse, Makerupu, Alewai and Raukele (POMCA premier team); Pool 3 – (NCD) Imanakone, Avala, Badili Hardware Curries, Viriolo and IBS Poreporena (POMCA premier team); Pool 4 – (Hiri) Wanderers, Pari, Moukele, Lakwaharu and Hoods (POMCA premier team); Pool 5 – (Motu-Koita) has Koita, Koboka, ETK, Taurama and United (POMCA premier team); Pool 6 – (Eagle Bay) Kaparoko Irupara, Papaka, Kalo and Kempa (POMCA premier team).