Senior players display class in T20 tourney

Sports

THE Isuzu Lewas Bash tournament continued on Monday with two exciting games of T20 cricket highlighted by some individual brilliance at Port Moresby’s Amini Park.
In both games, senior players stood tall with the bat, especially in the afternoon game where Lewas captain Kaia Arua fought hard to keep her side in the contest.
The honours in the morning match went to the Lewas Legends, they won the toss and sent the Cricket Papua New Guinea Board 11 in to bat.
The top order has been rock solid for the Board but on this occasion, Legends bowlers got their measure with Naoani Vare (5), Baia John (9) and Tanya Ruma (0) back in the dressing room with the score 3/19.
Brenda Tau batted well, top-scoring for Board with 25 and Henao Thomas was still at the crease on 17 at the end of their 20 overs. The team finished 8/87.
Isabel Toua, with 3/20, was the pick of the bowlers for the Legends.
The Legends chased down the 88 runs with more than six overs to spare with Pauke Siaka the driving force behind the win, playing a commanding innings to finish on 50 not-out off 43 balls.
Her innings included seven boundaries, sharing a 72-run stand with Sibona Jimmy (15) to take the game to Board’s bowlers in a match-winning performance.
The afternoon game was a reversed result with Board compiling a patient 3/116 as they batted first.
Ruma top-scored with 31 and Tau recorded 23 not-out in a consistant days performance. Vare was run out for 22. Siaka and Holland Doriga took the other two wickets.
The Legends would have approached the 117 target with some confidence after a strong batting performance in the morning match but faced a determined bowling attack from the outset.
Mairi Tom caused the early damage, dismissing Jimmy (1) and Siaka (1). When Toua was dismissed for 15, the Legends were 5/81 with victory still a chance.
Arua was playing a lone role, opening the batting and passing 50 as wickets fell around her with the score on 94.
She was eventually caught by Ruma off Thomas and was out for 61. As the eighth wicket to fall, Arua’s dismissal with the target in sight was disappointing.
Venau Israel and Thomas took the last two wickets to secure a six-run win for Board.