Brian Bell opened up its 2008 SP Super Series tournament with a brilliant one run victory over Steamships Hardware at the Amini Park yesterday.
Paul Tianna saved his side when he survived two close dismissal and cleverly led Brian Bell to their first win in the three week Twenty-20 series.
With 12 balls remaining and 13 runs to win Tianna survived his first dismissal off Loa Nou’s bowling when Steamships vice captain Kila Pala missed the opportunity to run out Tianna at close range.
Tianna than stumped his authority in the match when he blasted a beautiful six off fast bowler John Haoda’s first ball of the last over towards the Bisini Softball end.
Tianna’s second close call came when Haoda thought he had him stumped but the umpire Raka Ipi ruled that Haoda hit the stumps with his legs before hitting the bails off giving Tianna another life line to carry his side to victory.
With all rounder Joel Tom (10) getting caught by Toka Gaudi in Haoda’s third last delivery of his last over the weight was on Tianna to carry Brian Bell home to victory.
With the scores tied at 128 runs Tianna looked confident to hit Hoada’s last ball and signaled partner Jacob Mado to make a quick dash for a single.
And Tianna did just that when he smacked Hoada’s last delivery down leg side to register Brian Bell’s first twenty-20 victory.
Earlier Brian Bell bowled out Steamships Hardware for 7/128 after their allocated 20 overs with Frank Doura (20), captain Chris Amini (23 not out) and vice captain Kila Pala (16) building their target with respectable figures.
Brian Bell’s all rounder Joel Tom and spinner Arina Lahari took two vital wickets each to help stop their opposition from reach 150 plus runs.
In reply Brian Bell has a shaky run chase when the opening order and middle order batsmen all got out before reaching double figures and at one stage looked gone at 5/60.
But wicket keeper Ipi Morea (20) and opening batsman and man of the match Vani Vagi Morea (43) laid the foundation for Tianna to sneak them home to victory.
Steamships captain Chris Amini said a lot of miss fielding especially in the last five overs had mad them gave the game away.
“It was a good game but I thought we should have played our best if it wasn’t for the miss fielding that occurred during the crucial point of the game.
“Also probably our bowlers did not bowl well which Brian Bell capitalised and got as many runs on the board.
“But our spinners Toka Gaudi and Rarua Ipi bowled well today and brought us back into the game at one stage.
“I thought our batting was good it was just the little things like fielding that costs us at the end and the game just slipped out of our hands,” Amini said.
Brian Bell captain Rarua Dikana was pleased with the win and gave a big rap to his side for hanging out there and eventually winning the match convincingly.
In the second match a young Telikom Titans side brushed off the rain to comfortably win its first Twenty-20 match by eight wickets over Trukai Invincibles.
Opening batsman Jeremiah Nigani (26) led the way to victory with his skipper Mahuta Kivung (10).
Earlier Trukai Invincibles were all bowled out for 57 runs after 17 overs with Seia Ovia (8), Vagi Nou and Mahuru Dai (6) getting more than five runs to add a bit of respect to the target.
Invincibles middle order collapsed badly with captain John Ovia starting off his super series campaign with a duck.
In reply Titans had little trouble apart from the light drizzles to reach the target with former PNG batsman Jimmay Maha starting the run chase with a quick eight runs before Maru Hobart made him play a shot into wicket keeper Arua Uda’s hands.
Kapena Arua managed five runs before Hobart sent him packing and Assad Vala also had a disappointing start in the tournament with a duck thanks to Mahuru Dai’s off spins which saw Uda stumping him.
That was the only three batsmen to get out before Nigani along with his captain Kivung carefully guided the Titans ship home.
Brief score cards;
Steamships Hardware vs Brian Bell
Steamships Hardware- batting F Doura c J Iga b A Lahari (20), C Amini not out (23), K Pala b R Dikana
Brian Bell- bowling J Mado 1/31, J Tom 2/16, A Lahari 2/20, P Tianna 0/16, R Dikana 1/22, K Dai 0/22.
Extras- 25
FOW 1/8, 2/33, 4/55, 5/72, 6/113, 7/125
Brian Bell- batting VV Morea c F Doura b T Gaudi (43), I Morea c & b C Amini (20), P Tianna not out (10)
Steamships Hardware- bowling L Nou 2/28, J Haoda 4/26, C Amini 1/16, T Gaudi 1/27, R Ipi 3/16, F Doura 0/12
Extras-18
FOW 1/20, 2/35, 3/34, 3/41, 4/51, 5/60, 6/84, 7/84, 8/115, 9/128
Brian Bell won the match by 1 run.
Trukai Invincibles vs Telikom Titans
Trukai Invincibles-batting M Dai c A Vala b W Gavera (6), S Ovia c J Maha b J Moses (8), V Nou c J Maha b J Moses (8)
Telikom Titans- bowling J Lou 0/11, W Gavera 3/13, G Baeau 3/8, J Maha 1/5, J Moses 2/11
Extras- 19
FOW- 1/6, 2/18, 3/11, 4/26, 6/26, 7/30, 8/42, 9/50, 10/57
Telikom Titans- batting J Maha c A Uda b M Hobart (8), J Nigani not out (26), K Arua c W Vala b M Hobart (5), A Vala st A Uda (0), M Kivung not out (10).
Trukai Invincibles- bowling M Hobart 2/25, N Rima 0/11, M Dai 1/14, V Nou 0/1
Extras- 3
FOW- 1/8, 2/23, 3/34
Telikom Titans won the match by 8 wickets
Last Modified on 16/04/2008 16:16