Lewas deliver Independence gift with T-20 victory in Fiji

The Papua New Guinea women’s cricket team, the PNG Lewas, celebrated the nation’s 50th Independence Anniversary in style after defeating Vanuatu by nine wickets to win the ICC Women’s T-20 East Asia-Pacific Qualifier in Suva.

The national flag was hoisted high at Albert Park on the eve of Independence, as captain Brenda Tau and Naoani Vare led the Lewas to victory. Tau scored 39 runs from 39 balls, while Vare struck a half-century to seal the win and claim Player of the Match in the grand final.

The triumph came as the fulfillment of a promise. Before leaving for Fiji, Tau had declared that the Lewas’ mission was to win the tournament as a gift to PNG for its Golden Jubilee, a goal now achieved.

Under coach Mahuru Dai, the Lewas produced dominant performances throughout the qualifiers, defeating Japan by 45 runs, the Philippines by 168 runs, and Indonesia by five wickets before toppling Vanuatu in the decider.

Standout batter Konio Oala also made her mark with stellar performances against Japan and the Philippines, earning Player of the Match honors twice during the tournament.

With the win, the Lewas have secured a place in next year’s global qualifiers in Nepal, where they will face teams including Bangladesh, Scotland, USA, Thailand, Ireland, Netherlands, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and hosts Nepal.