Papua New Guinea have won their first home World Cricket League Championship match after beating Kenya by 6 wickets in Port Moresby today.
Kenyan captain Rakep Patel won the toss and chose to bat first, with his team initially scoring slowly but steadily. Opener Irfan Karim shared in a partnership of 56 for the fourth wicket and 42 for the fifth wicket as he looked to lay the foundations for a decent total.
At 172-5 with 10 overs remaining, Kenya would have been hoping to maybe get up to 250. But the reinroduction of Chad Soper into the attack changed the game completely.
Soper blew away the Kenyan lower order, taking all five remaining wickets in 4 overs as Kenya went from 172-5 to 188 all out. Karim finished unbeaten at the other end on 73 as Soper finished with 5-27.
Papua New Guinea's reply started with a 42 run opening partnership between Vani Morea and Lega Siaka, before Siaka was out for 24. Morea and Assad Vala then put on 84 for the second wicket, with Morea reaching his fifty before he was out for 53.
Vala finished the run chase unbeaten on 69 as Papua New Guinea completed a six wicket win with 15.3 overs to spare. The sides will meet again at Amini Park on Monday.