Siales off to Bali

By PATRICIA KEAMO
THE Papua New Guinea Siales departed yesterday for the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup East Asia Pacific qualifiers to be held in Bali, Indonesia, starting next Tuesday.
The 14-man squad for the qualifiers headed by coach Mahuru Dai with the assistance of PNG Lewas head coach David Drew and Pauke Siaka will be vying for the single spot in the U19 World Cup next year.
PNG will play against Fiji, Samoa and the hosts Indonesia in a double round-robin format with the winner earning a direct qualifying spot in the U19 World Cup.
The team has been training the last couple of months with Dai and the recent Isuzu T20 Smash was a major boost in their preparation.
“I have been working hard with the girls for the last three months, trying to get them into good shape before our big task in Bali and I am proud of how far they’ve come,” Dai told The National yesterday.
“The Isuzu Cup was a big boost for our girls in terms of preparation as not only did they gain confidence but individual players performed throughout the tournament.
“There few bowlers who took 4-6 wickets with a few scoring between 10-25 runs and I was happy with the range.”
Dai added that playing amongst the Lewas players as well as the three Australian marquee players has also helped the Siales learn and prepare for their real battle.
Upon arrival in Bali, the Siales will have an additional five-day preparation before the qualifiers start on Tuesday.
PNG will take on Samoa in their tournament opener before facing Fiji the next day then the host next Thursday. The format will see a double round-robin with the country recording most wins qualifies for the World Cup. “Our plan is simple, play to our basic cricket style, taking every game as it comes with the aim to win as the most winning team qualifies,” Dai said.
“Our captain, Dika Lohia, has gained valuable experience recently. She was our captain in the previous tour (2023 qualifiers) where she learnt a lot from there.
“She travelled with the Lewas in their tour in Zimbabwe and UAE so she’s gained more experience.”