Six teams confirmed for Fiji's Easter tournament

Fiji's annual Easter tournament to be held on April 9,10,11 and 13 is likely to feature six teams, with the possibility that one of those will be from Melbourne.

Five teams have so far confirmed for the event - Suva 1, Suva 2, Western, Moce and Tubou while either Victorian Fiji CC or a team from Rakiraki, on the northern coast of Fiji's main island, Vitu Levu, would be the sixth.

A Rakiraki team in the national tournament would complement the work of Cricket Fiji, which has been active in the region, which lies between Suva and Nadi. Past players have been trying to renew cricket activity.

Cricket Fiji's general manager, Martin Shaw, told Cricinfo that Fijian cricket's perennial problem - competition for grounds from rugby union - would determine whether tournament matches were 30 or 50 overs per side.

"If we have six teams and three grounds then it will be 50-over matches all the way, but if we only have two grounds it will have to be 30 over matches until the final," said Shaw.

There also been progress in the western area, barren ground for cricket in recent years, where there is a fledgling three-team competition featuring Moce, United and Punjas. And building on from the recent appointment of a high performance manager, Stephen Jenkin, Shaw said it was hoped development officers would be added in Lakeba and Moce.

Jenkin will get to see the Fijian national team in action when it travels to Vanuatu from April 24-May 1 to play the home team in three 50-over matches. The series is the playing performance component of Vanuatu's application for Associate Membership.