One day showdown

ON the back of their historic home win in the Intercontinental Cup four-day match, the Hebou Papua New Guinea Barramundis are rearing to go as they take on Namibia in two One Day Internationals at Amini Park, Port Moresby. The first match starts today, with play commencing at 9.30am, while the second and final game will be played on Sunday.
The two ODIs will be the second time Cricket PNG hosts a World Cricket League Championship matches.
The first occasion was a two-game series against Kenya in May this year. PNG won that series 2-0.
Riding high on the 199-run victory over Namibia on the last day of play of the I-Cup, Barramundis captain Assad Vala told The National that the team was looking forward to their next contest.
“The ODIs will be a different challenge for the boys, it’s a shorter format with its own unique demands,” Vala said at a training session yesterday.
“We just have to do the hard work, doing the basics right.
“We have our game plans and it’s just a matter of executing them.”
The 29-year-old is coming off a first innings centruy (144 not out) in the I-Cup fixture and will look to continue that form in the shorter format.
Namibia captain Sarel Burger, pictured, said he expected a better performance from his side then what they put on during the I-Cup fixture and hinted that the limited over games were heir real target.
“We are still very positive for the two one-day games, we have prepared the last eight months for these two games and all our focus is still on winning these two crucial games,” he told his home press on Wednesday.  “Jan (Frylinck) and Gerrie (Snyman) are available and I’m confident that the wheel will turn for us and that we will perform well.
“We back each other and are positive for a good result,” the 33-year-old said.
Barramundis coach Dipak Patel said he had not settled on his 11 for the game but it is a safe bet Vala will occupy a spot in the top four.
“We haven’t confirmed our starting 11; it’s something we’ll do on the morning of the match,” Patel said.
“The mood in the team is upbeat and there’s a lot of confidence but we have to start all over again against Namibia.
“It’s a different format and we definitely expect Namibia to play much better than they did in the four-dayer.”
Vala’s official one-day form in International Cricket Council matches is not quite as impressive (he averages 8 from two matches) as his form in the longer format (93.16 from four games) but Patel said he expected the Barramundis other “top quality batsmen” to step up with consistency his mantra.
Patel admitted that it would be unfair to expect the skipper to shoulder the scoring responsibility by doubling down and was hoping Vala got the support he needed.
PNG will be relying on the its top order batsmen’s to make the most of the Amini Park wicket, either posting a defendable score or chasing down a target. The Barramundis have the players who can get the job done in openers Tony Ura and Vani Vagi Morea getting the run rate going.
The middle order with the likes of Vala, Lega Siaka, Sese Bau and Mahuru Dai are all potential match winners with the bat.
After a quite performance during the I-Cup four-day match the Barramundis batsmen will want to prove their worth in the two ODIs.
PNG Barramundis (likely): 1. Tony Ura, 2. Vani Vagi Morea, 3. Assad Vala (c), 4. Lega Siaka, 5. Sese Bau, 6. Mahuru Dai, 7. Dogodo Bau (wk), 8. Chad Soper, 9. John Boge Reva, 10, Norman Vanua, 11. Willie Gavera.