Sports ovals unsafe for cricket matches

By LESLIE OMARO
ONE-day matches for the premier division in Port Moresby cricket this week­end have been cancelled after Amini Park, Rules and Colts Grounds were declared not safe
to host round 1 matches.
An email from Charles Amini at the Cricket Haus informed The National on Wednesday afternoon that the poor state   of the ovals made it dangerous for playing.
“Hebou and Cricket PNG have promised to fix this but I have not been advised whether they can do it this week or next week.
“If they can start straight away then this weekends games will be postponed to next weekend,” Amini said.
But late on that same afternoon, Amini confirmed that Hebou informed Cricket PNG that they would work on the cracks at the Amini Park, Colts and Rules ovals.
“The work is expected to start between now and next Friday in time for use by next weekend.
“Training on the ovals during this period will also
be not allowed including other sports.
“A delegates’ meeting is to be held on Saturday (tomorrow) at 10am at Amini Park,” he added.
“Presentation of T20 prizes and certificates to our latest crop of level 1 umpires will also take place.”
The women’s Twenty20 matches will go on as scheduled at the Sir Hubert Murray Stadium this weekend as well as the U12 eight-a-side indoor competition.
Meanwhile, Coasters captain Chris Amini leads the top five batsmen in the premier division after the conclusion of the seven round T20 competition.
Amini leads the batting
statistics with a total of 308 runs followed by Kem­pa’s hard hitting bats­-
man Warren Ilaraki in se­cond place with 264 runs.
In third place is Uni­ted’s opening batsman Tanti Heni wih  241 runs followed by Kira Kira Cricket Club (KCC) Henoa Geita with 230 runs.
In fifth place is Rau­kele’s all rounder Gimapau Keimelo with 229 runs.
In the bowling statistics Poreporena’s skipper John Ovia leads the top five bowlers with 18 wickets so far followed by Allen Joseph from Badili Wanderers in second place with 13 wickets.
Joseph’s teammate Heni
Siaka is in third place with 12 wickets while Geita from KCC and Kempa’s Paul Rawali have got 10 wickets each so far.
But Geita is in fourth place with a better average percentage of 11.30 to Rawali’s 15.60.