Village cricket, Papua New Guinea-style

The organising committee of this weekend's Easter national cricket championships in Papua New Guinea has adopted the theme "spreading the field". The game is going to be taken into the countryside to Hula, PNG's surfing Mecca, over 100km east of the capital, Port Moresby, where cricket has had a firm foundation for more than 100 years.

The tournament organising committee felt the championship was a great opportunity to showcase the cream of the country's best players at the rural level. Originally two matches were to be played in the rural areas. However, after recognising logistical and financial constraints, the organisers decided on one game at Hula - between Lae (PNG's second largest city) and Papua New Guinea's 2002 Youth World Cup team, which will play under the Port Moresby banner.

Cricket at the village level is not just a game of two teams of eleven players playing against each other. It's a time of feasting and celebration. The whole village turns up with food to eat and songs to sing, and it is a time of fun and enjoyment. The co-ordinator of the village game, and former PNG allrounder, Vavine Pala, says the villagers can't wait for the day. The people just love cricket. It's a game they have grown up with.

Port Moresby is fielding six teams during the Championships with Lae (one), Tabubil (one) and Central (two) making it a 10-team tournament, which began on Friday. The teams are grouped into two pools of five. Pool A comprises Port Moresby Gold (which won the South Pacific Games cricket section as the PNG national team last year), Tabubil, Port Moresby Koitabu, Port Moresby Fairfax and Central One. Pool B consists of Lae, Port Moresby Two, Port Moresby Three, Port Moresby Four and Central Two.

Foundation CC has won the Lagos First Division title, following the completion of last weekend's final round of matches. Foundation won the title with nine victories and a solitary defeat. Fittingly Foundation's traditional rivals, Cosmopolitan, finished second, some 36 points behind, after losing two more games than Foundation.

There was joy also for King's College Old Boys (KCOB), who earned promotion to the First Division after finishing as Second Division champions. KCOB take the place of Rocks, who were relegated, after clinching the championship in their vital last match against Howzat Dolphins to finish with five wins from six.

The nine First Division clubs play each other twice, while the six Second Division clubs meet three times during the season. Foundation confirmed its ascendency when it beat Cosmopolitan by four wickets in a presentation match to mark the end of the season proper.

Cosmopolitan were put in to bat, and were bundled out for 185 in the 35th of their allotted 40 overs. Foundation skipper Dolapo Gaffar earned himself a Video Cassette Recorder as Man of the Match for his unbeaten 66 out of a team total of 186 for 6. The teams will now compete in the Lagos Cricket Knockout competition starting this weekend.

The final table Foundation (Played 10, Won 9, Lost 1, Points 307; Cosmopolitan (P10, W7, L3, Pts 271); GCI Old Boys (P10, W5, L5, Pts 207); Howzat Pioneers (P10, W4, L6, Pts 149); Lagos Indians (P10, W3, L7 ); Rocks (P10, W2, L8, Pts 109).

Player awards Most Valuable Player: Kunle Adegbola(GCIOB); Most Improved Young Player: Segun Olayinka (ROCKS); Best Batsman (First Division): Kunle Adegbola(GCIOB); Best Bowler(First Div.): Wale Adeoye(FCC); Best Wicket-keeper (First Div.): Dolapo Gaffar (FCC); Best Fielder (First Div.): Kehinde Olambiwonu (Cosmopolitan); Best Batsman (Second Division): A Akhalu (KCOB); Best Bowler (Second Div.): Osita Onwuzulike (Dolphins); Best Wicketkeeper (Second Div.): Duro Akayan(KCOB); Best Fielder (Second Div. 2) O Imalehin(KCOB).

It was a case of southern comfort in the tradition-steeped North-South match in Buenos Aires, Argentina, last month, when the North XI escaped with a nail-biting draw on the last day of the three-day match.

Set the uphill task of scoring 262 in 40 owers for victory in the 105th staging of the annual match, North lost nine wickets for around 100 runs. South, boosted by a third-wicket partnership of 139 in even time between Matias Paterlini and Bernie Irigoyen, laid the foundation for a total of 278 for 9 declared at the end of the first day.

Paterlini (102) proved the sheet-anchor, while Irigoyen (77) was the aggressor during South's innings, which threatened to pass 300. Such was the tone of Irigoyen's innings, he almost caught up with Paterlini at one stage, despite commencing two hours later.

On the second day, North suffered an early collapse before Gary Savage, the Argentine Cricket Association CEO, cracked 82 with 10 fours, with Paul Ferguson (31) and Donny Forrester (88) helping him stop the rot. Any aspirations of a North lead though were extinguished by Argentina's premier spin bowler, Hernan Pereyra (23.5-7-65-4).

South led on the first innings by 14 runs, on a pitch beginning to offer signs of wear. On the third day, they ground out a second-innings total of 247 for 7 before a sizeable crowd, finally declaring around tea-time. Chris Gibson (44) top-scored while Irigoyen and Billy MacDermott (38 each) also impressed. Man of the Match Forrester caused most havoc for North taking 4 for 43 in 17 overs.

Pereyra instigated an early collapse in North's second innings, taking two quick early wickets, which Diego Lord (4 for 13) was happy to exploit. It was only thanks to cool temperaments from Stephen Nino and Malcolm van Steeden that South were denied victory.