Cricket comp pushed back over polling in by-election

THE Isuzu National Cup season bat-off has been pushed back to tomorrow due to today’s polling for the Port Moresby North-West by-election, according to an official. Cricket Papua New Guinea (CPNG) national talent manager Rodney Maha told The National yesterday that most of the Isuzu National Cup players were residents of the electorate and would be casting their votes today. “The fixture schedule remains the same (but) the first game tomorrow is pushed back to Saturday (tomorrow),” he said. “The players are all ecstatic to play after a long break due to the nationwide Covid-19 isolation strategy. “All our players are in top shape and we expect the Cup to be very competitive as this is CPNG’s premier competition, where each player has to play their best to earn a spot in the national squad and potentially the T20 World Cup squad come November. “We are also expecting to see some raw talents from Central and the Port Moresby Cricket Association clubs. “In terms of spectators and supporters, we do not expect a big crowd due to the Covid-19 restrictions imposed by the National Pandemic Control Centre.  “There will be limited to no people allowed into the game vicinity. “We sincerely apologise for that as it is a condition set by the National Pandemic Response Controller’s Office that we need to abide by to ensure everyone is safe so the competition can proceed without any disturbance. “However, there will be online updates via our social media platforms. “We’d also like to thank Boroko Motors and Isuzu for their tremendous support in making this event possible for our players and look forward to a successful competition ahead.”
Fixtures: Sat, June 5 ­— Black v Red, Sun, June 6 — Yellow v Black.