Ura, Vala destroy Samoa

PNG Hebou Barramundis openers Assad Vala and Tony Ura combined for a breathtaking 186-run first wicket stand against Samoa in the semi-final of the EAP T20 championship at Amini Park.
Both batsmen demoralised the Samoan attack with Ura (102) hitting his maiden ton off 53 balls.
The 21-year-old thrashed 11 fours and cleared the boundary four times in a thunderous display before falling to Sean Cotter (1-36) in the 18th over.
Vala, was also in devasting form fresh off a century against Japan the previos day.
The Hula native hit 92, which included nine boundaries and two 6s.
PNG scored 5-234. Fast bowler Faasao Mulivai snared 3-36 and Naa Vaasili picked up the other wicket.
Samoa were never in the hunt losing wickets at regular intervals with opener Cotter (24), No. 5 Uala Kaisara (15) and low order batsman Winston Mariner (18) looking anything close to threatening.
The Polynesians crumbled to be all out for 93 in the last over with spinners Jason Kila (2-20) and Mahuru Dai (2-16) choking the Samoan batsmen out of the match while part-time medium pacer Chris Amini (3-8)scooping a treble to clean up the tail.
PNG won by 141 runs.
In the other semi-final between the 2nd and 3rd placed teams, Vanuatu (7-126) scored a 35-run win over Fiji (7-91).
Led by Andrew Mansale who scored 42 at a run a ball, Vanuatu were able to restrict the Fijian batting order to a sub-100 score with pacemen Patrick Matautaava (2-26) and Jelany Chilia (2-17)  taking wickets at the top of the order.
But it was the tight bowling of spinner Simpson Obed (0-8 off four overs) which saw Fiji bat themselves into a hole they could not get out of.
In the last of the pool matches in the morning, Japan (3-123) put in an improved performance despite going down to Samoa (4-126) by six wickets.
Japan’s opener Qureshi Naeemuddin (42) and  first drop Jarrad Shearer (44 not out) scored well to  help their side post a competitive total.
Cotter hit 41 unbeaten runs to steer his side to victory with a handy 35 from Mulivai.
Fiji (4-77) and Vanuatu  clashed in the other pool match with Vanuatu scuttled for 73 by the 17th over.
Fiji’s six-man attack shared the spoils with Kitione Tavo (2-19), Mohammad Kahn (1-6), Sakaraia Lomani (1-27), Waisake Tukana (2-14), Iniasi Cakacaka (1-7) and  Viliame Yabaki (2-0) all havng a hand in the six-wicket win.
In today’s games, PNG play Vanuatu in the final at Amini at 2pm.
Samoa and Fiji play off for third place at and Japan takes on the PNG Garamuts at Colts.
Both games will start at 10am.