PNG bag EAP title

PNG Hebou Barramundis skipper Rarua Dikana yesterday dedicated their win in the citifon East Asia Pacific T20 championship to PNG cricket fans.
The win on home soil for the Barramundis was an historic occasion.
Dikana was happy the team could provide the fans with a result fitting of a side who has been a class above the rest over the four-day event.
“It’s a huge achievement for the country especially considering all of the development work going on,” he said.
“I’m glad we could do this for everyone involved in cricket in PNG.”
In the final at Amini Park, PNG took advantage of several early dropped catches and missed run-out opportunities to set 5-195.
In reply Vanuatu could only manage 137 and lost by 58 runs.
After a cautious first couple of overs including a difficult catch dropped by Andrew Mansale  at cover nearly spelled the end of Tony Ura (48).
Tha gave Assad Vala and Ura cause to stepped it up a gear racing to 0-52 in the 5th over.
However off-spinner Jelany Chilia claimed the prized scalp of Vala and Vanuatu found new enthusiasm to briefly slow the run rate.
Tony Ura and Chris Amini did not take long to get their acts together and once again built the foundation for a big PNG total as they started sending a number of Vanuatu deliveries beyond the boundary. The score was 103 from 10 overs when a piece of Andrew Mansale magic cleaned bowled Ura for 48.
Despite the dismissal of the two leading run scorers in the tournament, Ura and Vala, Vanuatu quickly learned the depth the PNG side possess as Mahuru Dai and Jason Kila exploded into action in the middle stages of the innings.
No one was safe as balls were lofted into all areas of crowd thanks to some of the cleanest hitting seen all week.
Kila was dismissed off the last ball of the innings for 35 and Barramundis set Vanuatu 196 for victory.
Patrick Matautaava was the best of the bowlers for Vanuatu with 2-41.
Vanuatu was steady early in their reply with Laz Carlot and Lenica Natapei safely seeing off the first four overs for their side.
However the loss of three quick wickets including captain Mansale ended all hope of a Vanuatu upset.
Simpson Obed fought hard in the middle stages of the chase with a couple of big sixes over mid-wicket before he was beautifully stumped by Jack Vare off the bowling of Dai for 31.
Trevor Langa and Patrick Matautaava then ensured Vanuatu could take more than a few positives away from the defeat with some big hitting themselves to guide their country to the respectable total of 7-137.
Langa was eventually dismissed for 28 while Matautaava was out for 36.
For PNG, it was a tremendous team effort with the ball as the Barramundis had four different wicket-takers.
Joel Tom was the best of them with 3-31.
For Vanuatu, despite the loss, they walked away with their best ever finish at an East Asia Pacific event and their captain Mansale said it was a good week for his side.
“We are very proud, sure we lost today but we are just so proud of the performance the boys put in,” he said.
“If we can keep this side together for five or six more years we will be much better.”
Ura was awarded man-of-the-match for his top score capping off a great tournament.
The tournament leading run scorer was Vala who scored 372 runs at an average of 62.00 narrowly beating teammate Ura, who scored 354 runs at an average of 59.00.
The leading wicket taker was Fiji’s Iniasi Cakacaka who took nine wickets at 10.44.
He beat Vanuatu’s Patrick Matautaava who also took nine wickets at 17.89.