PNG win EAP U17 cricket championship

THE Papua New Guinea Geckos won the inaugural East Asia Pacific (EAP) U17 championship defeating Vanuatu by 125 runs in the grand final held at Kazaa Field in Port Vila, Vanuatu on Saturday.
Vanuatu captain Callum Blake won the toss and elected to field in hot conditions, hoping that his bowlers could grab early wickets and have the PNG middle order under pressure.
The Geckos began their innings cautiously, and reached 40 without loss after 10 overs of tight bowling from Blake and Nalin Nipiko.
Dogodo Bau and Alu Jimmy progressed the score to 60 before Jimmy (16) was caught from the bowling of Henry Stephen, however PNG continued to tick the scoreboard over, with Bau (37) and Nigel Boge (46) in fine form.
PNG reached 5for 218 from their 35 overs.
In reply Vanuatu were never in the hunt, with left arm swing bowler Kabua Vagi taking two early wickets, and Blake was tragically run-out for just two to have Vanuatu reeling at three wickets for six.
Vanuatu could not recover well enough to mount a fightback although Ronald Tari (13) and Nipiko (37) fought hard against the relentless PNG attack, but with the required run rate continuing to rise, Vanuatu lost the final six wickets for just 34 runs.
Boge was named player of the final for his innings of 46.
In the third place playoff between Fiji and Indonesia, Fiji ran out victors by eight wickets in a competitive game at Independence Park.