Cricket

Their 53-run win over an up and coming Vanuatu came on the back of a dominant performance with bat and ball from Feala Pula who was named player of the match.

Pula joined her captain Regina Lili’I (38) for a 54-run fourth wicket partnership as Samoa went on to post 114 from their 20 overs.

20-year-old Leimauri Chilia picked up three wickets for Vanuatu who continue to improve with each match.

Pula was pleased with both her performance and that of the team acknowledging that “we couldn’t take Vanuatu lightly,” she said.

The 29 year old featured in all four round robin games for the Galaxy Gladiators Lantau, playing alongside the likes of Kumar Sangakkara and Jesse Ryder, in a team mentored by West Indian great Brian Lara.

Vanuatu will return to the ICC’s World Cricket League Division 5 after beating Fiji by six wickets in Bendigo yesterday.

They finished the tournament undefeated, living up to their reputation as tournament favourites.

On a good batting pitch at Dower Park, Fiji won the toss and batted first, but failed to capitalize on the good conditions by giving up early wickets.

Player of the match and opening bowler Patrick Matautaava (3-17) was in outstanding form, picking up two early wickets and a run out.

Japan raced to 46 for 1 against Vanuatu before collapsing to be 79 all out in Bendigo.

The Melanesians lost both openers in the first three overs but recovered to reach their target with six wickets and more than 31 overs to spare.

But coach Shane Deitz said the scoreboard doesn't tell the full story.

"We bowled first and they got off to a little bit of a flyer and smacked out quicks around a little bit," he said.

"Then a couple of our first and second change bowlers came on and bowled a better line and length and tied it up a bit.

Jelany Chilia was the pick of the bowlers, with 3 for 10, as Vanuatu dismissed Indonesia for 82 before the opening pair of Josh Rasu and Jonathon Dunn chased down their victory target in just 9.1 overs.

Samoa captain Ben Mailata starred with bat and ball in a seven wicket win over Japan.

The 32 year old claimed 5 for 27 as Japan were dismissed for 144 and then led the way with the bat, top-scoring with 58 not out from 52 balls, including five sixes, as the Polynesian side overhauled their target inside 26 overs.

Ben Stokes (62) had raced to his team's fastest 50 in India to join Jason Roy (73) and Joe Root (78) as one of three tourists to produce half centuries, England posting an imposing total of 350-7. 

But the tight boundary at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium also worked in the hosts' favour, captain Kohli plundering 122 and Jadhav 120.

Hazlewood snared 32 wickets in six Tests on home soil against South Africa and Pakistan to be ranked the third on the bowling rankings - behind Indian spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.

Sri Lanka tweaker Rangana Herath came in fourth with South African quick Dale Steyn fifth - meaning Hazlewood ranks as the premier fast bowler.

Hazlewood's new ball partner Mitchell Starc was 10th on the list and also ranked 7th out of the Test all-rounders.

Warner became just the fifth batsman to achieve the feat and the first on Australian soil as he clocked up 100 runs off just 78 balls in the first session in Sydney.

Wahab finally dismissed the Australia opener on 113 when he drew an outside edge that flew to wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed.

However, the Pakistan paceman said Warner, who also claimed a ton in the Boxing Day Test, had already done the damage.

"Everybody knows Warner is an attacking player and we know where he is strong," said Wahab.

In the past 12 months, which included the ICC Women's World Twenty20 in India and the ICC Women's Championship, Bates scored 472 runs in eight ODIs at an average of just over 94.

She also took eight wickets at an economy-rate of 3.75.

In the shortest format of the game, Bates was the leading run-scorer with 429 runs at an average of 42.90 and a strike-rate of over 115 runs per 100 balls.

A delighted Bates said from Perth, where she plays for the Scorchers in Australia's Big Bash T20 competition, that winning the two awards is an honour.

 The powerful 7.5 magnitude quake pummelled central New Zealand, especially the top half of the South Island, killing at least two people, damaging roads and buildings and setting off hundreds of strong aftershocks.

It was felt strongly in Christchurch, the South Island's largest city, which was hit by a 6.3 quake in 2011 that killed 185 people.

RNZ reports that New Zealand Cricket officials told reporters in Christchurch the match would go ahead.

Both teams arrived in the city yesterday, with the Pakistan side arriving from Nelson, where they felt the tremors.