PNG Lewas ready for domestic cricket

By ROBINSON LEKA
THE women’s national team, Papua New Guinea Lewas, are geared up for domestic cricket after a long break as they prepare for the T20 Smash tournament that starts today at Amini Park in Port Moresby.
Lewas skipper Kaia Arua said it was the first time this year for the squad to play matches with the Coronavirus affecting much of their preparations for international duties.
The Lewas’ 2021 calendar will see them travel to Zimbabwe in November for the 50-over World Cup qualifier.
“We didn’t play any cricket for a very long time and this tournament is a big part of our preparation moving into our 50-over matches,” she said.
“The girls have been focused since the start of the year despite the lockdowns because we were all given training manuals to follow at home.
“We also had a few days where we trained as a group. We’re happy with the progress and I’m really happy with the squad’s effort.”
The 16-member Lewas side will be getting much needed game time in the tournament with two teams to play five matches for the next three weeks before their 50-over training.
“For the training, the girls have really come together with their preparation for the qualifier in Zimbabwe.
“We’ve been automatically cleared for the qualifier, so right now, we’ll be heading into the T20 smash tournament to get some game time.
“Our squad of 16 players are all on contract with Cricket PNG and we will have another 10 players joining us for the Smash tournament.”