The 2023 Pacific Island Cricket Challenge consisted of a men's Twenty20 International (T20I) and a women's Twenty20 International (WT20I) cricket tournament, that took place in Suva, Fiji, in March 2023.[1][2]
Both events featured men's and women's national teams from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Vanuatu, as well as team representing the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC), with all games played at Albert Park in Suva.[3] Papua New Guinea entered an academy team in the men's tournament due to their senior side playing a Cricket World Cup League 2 series in Nepal.[4] The event was sponsored by the Australian Defence Force and also saw representatives from other Pacific island nations such as the Cook Islands and New Caledonia take part in training sessions to help boost the standard of cricket across the region.[5] The arrival of the Vanuatu teams was delayed by the impact of Cyclones Judy and Kevin on the country.[6]
Papua New Guinea won both the men's and women's tournaments.[7][8]
Men's tournament
| Dates | 11 – 18 March 2023 |
|---|---|
| Administrator(s) | Australian Defence Force and Cricket Fiji |
| Cricket format | Twenty20, Twenty20 International |
| Tournament format(s) | Round-robin and knockout |
| Host(s) |  Fiji |
| Champions |  Papua New Guinea XI |
| Runners-up |  Vanuatu |
| Participants | 5 |
| Matches | 14 |
| Player of the series | Nalin Nipiko |
| Most runs | Nalin Nipiko (271) |
| Most wickets |  Timezeen Rapi (10) |
Squads
| ANZAC Barbarians[4] | Fiji[9][10] |
Papua New Guinea XI[11] |
Samoa[12] |
Vanuatu[6] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Round-robin
Points table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Papua New Guinea XI |
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1.516 |
| 2 | Vanuatu |
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0.992 |
| 3 | ANZAC Barbarians | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1.249 |
| 4 | Fiji |
4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | −0.409 |
| 5 | Samoa |
4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | −3.188 |
Source: ESPNcricinfo[13]
Qualified for the semi-finals
Fixtures
v |
ANZAC Barbarians 131 (19.5 overs) | |
Peni Dakainivanua 51* (44) Marc Chappel 2/22 (2 overs) |
Lewin Maladay 33 (26) Peni Dakainivanua 3/14 (4 overs) |
- Fiji won the toss and elected to bat.
v |
||
Lega Siaka 71 (45) Timezeen Rapi 2/28 (4 overs) |
Matthew Faatea 27 (34) Jack Gardner 3/18 (3 overs) |
- Samoa won the toss and elected to field.
v |
||
Cakacaka Veretaki 54* (43) Jack Gardner 2/18 (4 overs) |
- Fiji won the toss and elected to bat.
- Papua New Guinea XI were set a revised target of 135 runs from 16 overs.
v |
||
Ronald Tari 56 (40) Timezeen Rapi 3/18 (4 overs) |
Paul Rarotoga 56 (39) Simpson Obed 4/29 (4 overs) |
- Samoa won the toss and elected to field.
- Matthew Faatea, Liuone Fereti, Maletino Maiava, Bondi Pita, Josef Pita, Timezeen Rapi, Paul Rarotoga, Sitanisilao Toutai, Maene Tuilaepa (Sam) and Godfrey Mangau (Van) all made their T20I debuts.
ANZAC Barbarians 151/8 (20 overs) |
v |
|
Lewin Maladay 48 (26) Apolinaire Stephen 2/23 (4 overs) |
Nalin Nipiko 58 (30) Matthew Guest 2/20 (4 overs) |
- Vanuatu won the toss and elected to field.
v |
||
Cakacaka Veretaki 60 (41) Darren Roache 1/27 (3 overs) |
Josef Pita 46 (39) Petero Cabebula 4/14 (3.1 overs) |
- Fiji won the toss and elected to bat.
- Peni Dakainivanua, Peni Kotoisuva, Villame Manakitoga, Siteri Tabuisulu, Cakacaka Veretaki (Fij) and Aoga Leutogi (Sam) all made their T20I debuts.
ANZAC Barbarians 172/9 (20 overs) |
v |
|
Tom Lavender 87 (47) Timezeen Rapi 3/19 (4 overs) |
Darren Roache 10 (9) Matthew Shean 4/11 (4 overs) |
- ANZAC Barbarians won the toss and elected to bat.
v |
||
Junior Kaltapau 25 (26) Nosaina Pokana 2/18 (4 overs) |
Doko Rupa 76 (48) Joshua Rasu 2/32 (4 overs) |
- Vanuatu won the toss and elected to bat.
ANZAC Barbarians 168/5 (20 overs) |
v |
|
Simon Behl 52 (25) Mahuru Dai 2/31 (4 overs) |
Vani Morea 66 (41) William Schiwy 4/28 (3.4 overs) |
- Papua New Guinea XI won the toss and elected to field.
v |
||
Nalin Nipiko 100 (49) Peni Kotoisuva 2/56 (4 overs) |
Saimoni Tuitoga 27 (31) Nalin Nipiko 3/34 (4 overs) |
- Fiji won the toss and elected to field.
- Uraia Sorovakatini, Saimoni Tuitoga (Fij) and Ala Viraliliu (Van) all made their T20I debuts.
- Nalin Nipiko (Van) scored his first century in T20Is.[14]
Semi-finals
v |
||
Junior Kaltapau 48 (34) Seru Tupou 3/6 (2 overs) |
Seru Tupou 30 (36) Joshua Rasu 2/14 (4 overs) |
- Vanuatu won the toss and elected to bat.
v |
||
Toa Nou 28 (22) Sitanisilao Toutai 2/21 (3 overs) |
Darren Roache 13 (13) Toa Nou 2/2 (1.1 overs) |
- Samoa won the toss and elected to field.
Third-place play-off
Final
v |
||
Nalin Nipiko 54 (38) Patrick Nou 3/14 (4 overs) |
- Papua New Guinea XI won the toss and elected to bat.
Women's tournament
| Dates | 11 – 18 March 2023 |
|---|---|
| Administrator(s) | Australian Defence Force and Cricket Fiji |
| Cricket format | Women's Twenty20, Twenty20 International |
| Tournament format(s) | Round-robin and knockout |
| Host(s) | Fiji |
| Champions | Papua New Guinea |
| Runners-up | Vanuatu |
| Participants | 5 |
| Matches | 14 |
| Player of the series | Selina Solman |
| Most runs | Tanya Ruma (177) |
| Most wickets | Hollan Doriga (13) |
Squads
| ANZAC Barbarians[4] | Fiji[15] |
Papua New Guinea[16] |
Samoa[17] |
Vanuatu[6] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
Round-robin
Points table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Papua New Guinea |
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 5.806 |
| 2 | Vanuatu |
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1.044 |
| 3 | Fiji |
4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | −1.235 |
| 4 | Samoa |
4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | −2.389 |
| 5 | ANZAC Barbarians | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | −3.690 |
Source: ESPNcricinfo[18]
Qualified for the semi-finals
Fixtures
v |
||
Jacinta Sanele 10 (25) Ravina Oa 3/5 (2.4 overs) |
- Papua New Guinea won the toss and elected to bat.
- Ituniu Faleupolu, Vicky Tafea, Salema Toomaga and Matile Uliao (Sam) all made their WT20I debuts.
ANZAC Barbarians 48 (12.2 overs) |
v |
|
Elizabeth Drake 15 (16) Karalaini Vakuruivalu 3/10 (3 overs) |
Ruci Muriyalo 27* (19) Kirsten Benzie 2/8 (2 overs) |
- Fiji won the toss and elected to field.
v |
||
Rachel Andrew 42 (33) Taalili Iosefo 2/12 (2 overs) |
Taalili Iosefo 29 (18) Marcelina Mete 2/11 (3 overs) |
- Vanuatu won the toss and elected to bat.
- Samoa were set a revised target of 96 runs from 15 overs due to rain.
- Gillian Chilia and Tina Kalosin (Van) both made their WT20I debuts.
v |
||
- Fiji won the toss and elected to field.
v |
||
Matile Uliao 15 (16) Ruci Muriyalo 3/17 (4 overs) |
Ruci Muriyalo 49* (47) Ariota Kupito 1/10 (1 overs) |
- Fiji won the toss and elected to field.
- Cilia Lewatu (Fij) made her T20I debut.
v |
ANZAC Barbarians 107/5 (20 overs) | |
Jenn Harmon 25* (22) Netty Chilia 2/15 (4 overs) |
- Vanuatu won the toss and elected to bat.
v |
||
- Vanuatu won the toss and elected to bat.
ANZAC Barbarians 84/7 (20 overs) |
v |
|
Meagan Campbell 26 (30) Ariota Kupito 2/10 (3 overs) |
- ANZAC Barbarians won the toss and elected to bat.
v |
||
Ruci Muriyalo 16 (25) Valenta Langiatu 3/6 (4 overs) |
Rachel Andrew 14 (20) Ruci Muriyalo 1/6 (2.1 overs) |
- Vanuatu won the toss and elected to field.
- Mereani Rodan (Fij) made her WT20I debut.
ANZAC Barbarians 74/8 (20 overs) |
v |
|
Tayla Seymour 16 (33) Hollan Doriga 4/13 (3 overs) |
- ANZAC Barbarians won the toss and elected to bat.
Semi-finals
v |
||
Florence Agaimalo 21 (29) Hollan Doriga 3/13 (3 overs) |
- Papua New Guinea won the toss and elected to bat.
- Angel Sootaga (Sam) made her WT20I debut.
v |
||
Ateca Kainoco 12 (20) Netty Chilia 3/7 (3 overs) |
Selina Solman 16 (16) Karalaini Vakuruivalu 3/22 (4 overs) |
- Vanuatu won the toss and elected to field.
Third-place play-off
Final
v |
||
Sibona Jimmy 37 (38) Marcelina Mete 3/26 (4 overs) |
Rayline Ova 7 (6) Vicky Araa 3/5 (2.3 overs) |
- Vanuatu won the toss and elected to field.
- Louise Tastuki (Van) made her WT20I debut.
Notes
- ↑ Jone Wesele was named as captain of the Fiji men's squad, but Peni Vuniwaqa captained the side.
References
- ↑ "Vanuatu men's cricketers reap earnings boost as 2023 contracts announced". Vanuatu Cricket Association. 3 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ↑ "Samoa's cricketers gearing up for Pacific Islands Cup". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
- ↑ "Cricket Fiji will co-host the inaugural Pacific Island Cricket Challenge 2023". Fiji Village. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
- 1 2 3 "Cricket Fiji to host Men's/Women's Pacific Island Cricket Challenge in March 2023". Czarsportz. 11 February 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
- ↑ "Plans to revive cricket". The Fiji Times. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- 1 2 3 "National Men's & Women's Team to Travel to Fiji for Inaugural Pacific Island Cricket Challenge 2023". Vanuatu Cricket Association. 10 March 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
- ↑ "PNG rules cricket". Fiji Times. 19 March 2023. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
- ↑ "PNG teams win tourney". The National. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
- ↑ "Cricket Fiji prepares for PICC23". The Fiji Times. 6 February 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
- ↑ "The National Men's team that will represent Fiji to the inaugural Pacific Island Cricket Challenge (PICC23) was announced today". Cricket Fiji (via Facebook). 24 February 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
- ↑ "Academy squads to compete in challenge". The National. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
- ↑ "Samoa names strong team for Pacific Cup". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
- ↑ "Pacific Island Men Cricket Challenge 2022/23". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
- ↑ "Holiday Inn Resort Vanuatu Men's & Women's Team Through to Pacific Island Cricket Challenge Final". Vanuatu Cricket Association. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
- ↑ "Cricket teams challenged". FBC News. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
- ↑ "Cricket PNG announces final squad for PICC". PNG Haus Bung. 9 February 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
- ↑ "Samoa gears up for Pacific Island Cricket Challenge 2023". Loop Samoa. 6 February 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
- ↑ "Pacific Island Women Cricket Challenge 2022/23". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
External links
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