Madang claims Highlands regional cricket title

 MADANG beat Mt Hagen 1 to claim the inaugural Highlands region cricket championship title on Sunday. 

Madang won by 13 runs after scoring 167/8 in their 20 overs and bowled out Hagen for 154.  

Opener Tum Tum Ora anchored the innings with a  a well-made 83. 

Mt Hagen’s Wari Kila hit 84 runs but his side could not get over the line.  

The inaugural highlands region cricket championship was hosted by Mt Hagen Cricket Association in Mt Hagen. 

The teams that competed were Mt Hagen 1, Madang and Mt Hagen Gomis Under-17 Development XI. 

The Goroka Cricket Association team pulled out of the championship at the last minute with safety issues on the Highlands Highway. 

Cricket PNG High Performance Manager Rarua Dikana, who officiated at the championship, was pleased with the talent displayed. 

“It is encouraging to see the locals taking up cricket,” Dikana said. 

“About 95% of the players were local boys and players who have been recently introduced to cricket,” he added.

“It shows that the game is rapidly growing and developing in these regions outside of the traditional areas in the Central province,” the former national player said. 

The former Barramundis captain said part of the Cricket PNG high performance plans later on in the year to develop the game outside of its  traditional boundaries would be to stage a national regional championship. 

The Highlands region championship was used as a selection trial to select the highlands region side. 

The Highlands region team will be announced shortly once selections are finalised in consultation with the association presidents and the regional cricket managers. 

The selected team will represent the Highlands region in the regional championship in September . 

The next region to host their regional selection championship will be the Island region – Kimbe, Kavieng, Popondetta and Milne Bay. 

Dikana thanked the association presidents of Mt Hagen and Madang for committing their time and effort to make the Highlands championship a successful one. 

Dikana also congratulated the Madang team and officials for winning the inaugural trans-highway championship.