Port Moresby junior cricket comp picks up

By LESLIE OMARO
PORT Moresby junior eight-a-side cricket competition has gained momentum over the school holidays with more than 100 participants competing in the mid-week games.
The junior cricket matches, held every Saturdays were moved to mid-week when the school holiday started in November and early December last year.
Cricket PNG staffer Charles Amini, who helps run the junior competition, said yesterday the games are held every Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Amini said when the school holidays are over the competition would return to games played on Saturdays.
He said the finals were expected to be held next month.
“The junior competition is running again after a successful season last year.
“The competition is run under the Port Moresby Cricket Association and already a couple of sponsors have shown interest,” Amini said.
Clubs participating in the U12 division are Raukele, Coasters, Hoods, Badili Wanderers, United and Kira Kira Cricket Club (KCC).
Ten teams are playing in the U12 division with Raukele, Coasters, Hoods and KCC having two teams each while Badili Wanderers and United have fielded one team each.
KCC team 2 is known as Kauka.
There are five teams each competing in the U14 and U16 division competitions. Raukele, Hoods, Coasters, KCC and Poreporena have teams in the U16 division while Kauka, KCC, Hoods, Raukele and Coasters have sides in the U14 category.
“Some players have withdrawn from the U14 and U16 competitions especially players from United and Poreporena cricket clubs.
“Most of their players were involved in the Hanuabada off-season rugby league causing the decline in the number of players in the two division competitions.
“With that happening we had to re-do the junior competition draws,” Amini said.