By Dinnierose Raiko – EMTV Sports, Port Moresby
After 2 years of the ICC World Cricket League Championship, the Hebou PNG Barramundis successfully made the cut to attend the World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe this year.
Unfortunately, the dream to make a world cup debut is one they will now have to put on hold as they bow out of the qualifiers in Zimbabwe.
Two years of the ICC World Cricket League Championship, a squad that had their sights set on the world qualifiers and determination to get there kept the Barramundis as one of the competition leaders for the most part of the two years.
Their resilience eventually paved their way to the World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe, where they were put to the ultimate test to gain entry to the pinnacle of cricket, the ICC Cricket World Cup.
Placed in pool A with Netherlands, Ireland, United Arab Emirates and West Indies, the PNG side got their hands full.
UAE’s 6 wicket beating in their first match proved this was not going to be an easy tournament to win.
The matches that followed saw Ireland beating them by 4 wickets, West Indies mounting another 6 wicket thumping and Netherlands bagging a 57 run win to push the Barras to the bottom of the ladder in their pool.
However, PNG is not alone, Netherlands also do not get a chance to enter the Super 6. Unlike PNG, they won 1 of their 3 matches.
Tomorrow’s playoff will see PNG against Nepal in an effort once more to retain their One Day International status, if not a spot in the Super 6.
