Vanuatu national cricket team

Summary

The Vanuatu national cricket team is the men's team that represents Vanuatu in international cricket. The team is organised by the Vanuatu Cricket Association, which became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 1995 and an associate member in 2009.[5] Vanuatu made its international debut at the 1979 Pacific Games, at which time the country was still known as the New Hebrides.[6] The majority of the team's matches have come against other members of the ICC East Asia-Pacific region, including both at ICC regional tournaments and at the cricket events at the Pacific Games.

Vanuatu
AssociationVanuatu Cricket
Personnel
CaptainJoshua Rasu
CoachChris Laffan[1]
International Cricket Council
ICC statusAssociate member (2009)
Affiliate member (1995)
ICC regionEast Asia-Pacific
ICC Rankings Current[2] Best-ever
T20I 47th 43rd (26 February 2023)
International cricket
First internationalNew Hebrides New Hebrides v. Fiji 
(Suva; 30 August 1979)
Twenty20 Internationals
First T20Iv  Papua New Guinea at Amini Park, Port Moresby; 22 March 2019
Last T20Iv  Samoa at Faleata Oval 2, Apia; 24 August 2024
T20Is Played Won/Lost
Total[3] 40 17/23
(0 ties, 0 no result)
This year[4] 11 2/9
(0 ties, 0 no results)
T20 World Cup Qualifier appearances1[a] (first in 2023)
Best result3rd (2023)

T20I kit

As of 24 August 2024

Vanuatu entered the World Cricket League at the 2008 Division Five tournament. The team participated in the WCL system at the 2015 Division Six event, where it placed third.[7] Following the withdrawal of Suriname from the 2016 Division Five tournament, Vanuatu were named as their replacement.[8] After the abolition of the WCL, Vanuatu currently is part of the 2019–22 ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League.

History

edit

Vanuatu competed in the Pacifica Championships on the two occasions it was held, finishing seventh in 2001 and sixth in 2002. In 2005, they hosted the East Asia/Pacific Cricket Cup, finishing third in the six team competition, therefore missing out on qualification for the 2007 World Cup. At the East Asia – Pacific Trophy in Auckland, New Zealand, in December 2007, Vanuatu finished second, therefore qualifying through to the World Cricket League Division Five in 2008. In the highly successful 2009 calendar year, Vanuatu defeated Fiji in two One-Day Series in Port Vila as well as claiming the prestigious 2009 ICC EAP Men's Cricket Trophy (Non-World Cricket League) held in Samoa, defeating the hosts in the final. At a junior level, Vanuatu has finished second to Papua New Guinea in the following competitions: East Asia – Pacific Under 15 Super 8s, Melbourne, Australia, 2005; East Asia – Pacific Under 15 Super 8s, Apia, Samoa, 2007; East Asia – Pacific Under 19 World Cup Qualifying Tournament, Port Vila, Vanuatu, 2007.

Vanuatu finished third in the 2010 ICC World Cricket League Division Eight in Kuwait. This means they stayed in that league for the 2012 competition.

2018–present

edit

At the 2018 ICC World Cricket League Division Four tournament, Vanuatu recorded victories against Bermuda, a former ODI team, and Denmark, which has previously played as high as Division Two. However, they were still relegated to Division Five based on net run rate.[9]

In April 2018, the ICC decided to grant full Twenty20 International (T20I) status to all its members. Therefore, all Twenty20 matches played between Vanuatu and other ICC members since 1 January 2019 have the full T20I status.[10]

Vanuatu made its Twenty20 International debut on 22 March 2019, losing to Papua New Guinea by 8 wickets in the 2018–19 ICC T20 World Cup East Asia-Pacific Qualifier at Amini Park, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

22 March 2019
13:45
Scorecard
Vanuatu  
124/6 (20 overs)
v
  Papua New Guinea
125/2 (15.2 overs)
Nalin Nipiko 53 (55)
Lega Siaka 2/7 (2 overs)
Tony Ura 65 (37)
Williamsing Nalisa 1/29 (4 overs)
Papua New Guinea won by 8 wickets
Amini Park, Port Moresby
Umpires: Tabarak Dar (HK) and Simon Fry (Aus)
Player of the match: Tony Ura (PNG)
  • Vanuatu won the toss and elected to bat.
  • First ever T20I match for Vanuatu.

After April 2019, Vanuatu played in the 2019–21 ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League.[11]

In August 2019, Australian Clint McKay was appointed as the interim coach of the team, ahead of the 2019 Malaysia Cricket World Cup Challenge League A tournament.[12]

Tournament history

edit

World Cricket League

edit

ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier

edit
  • 2023 (EAP Regional Final): 3rd

EAP 50-over tournaments

edit

EAP 20-over tournaments

edit

Pacific Games

edit
  • 1979: Silver medal
  • 1991: 4th place
  • 2003: 5th place
  • 2011: Bronze medal
  • 2015: Champions
  • 2019: Silver medal

Pacific Island Cricket Challenge

edit

Current Squad

edit

This lists all the players who have played for Vanuatu in the past 12 months or has been part of the latest T20I squad. Updated as of 11 March 2024

Name Age Batting style Bowling style Notes
Batters
Junior Kaltapau 25 Right-handed Right-arm off break
Andrew Mansale 36 Right-handed Right-arm off break
Jamal Vira 30 Right-handed
Womejo Wotu 20 Right-handed
All-rounders
Nalin Nipiko 29 Right-handed Right-arm medium
Ronald Tari 30 Right-handed Right-arm medium Vice-captain
Patrick Matautaava 33 Right-handed Right-arm medium
Darren Wotu 26 Right-handed Right-arm medium
Simpson Obed 35 Right-handed Right-arm leg break
Wicket-keepers
Jarryd Allen 34 Right-handed
Clement Tommy 27 Right-handed
Spin Bowlers
Williamsing Nalisa 25 Right-handed Right-arm leg break
Tim Cutler 42 Right-handed Slow left-arm orthodox
Pace Bowlers
Joshua Rasu 30 Right-handed Right-arm fast-medium Captain
Apolinaire Stephen 29 Right-handed Right-arm medium-fast

Records and statistics

edit

International Match Summary — Vanuatu[16]

Last updated 24 August 2024

Playing Record
Format M W L T NR Inaugural Match
Twenty20 Internationals 40 17 23 0 0 22 March 2019

Twenty20 International

edit

T20I record versus other nations[16]

Opponent M W L T NR First match First win
vs Associate Members
  Bahrain 1 0 1 0 0 10 March 2024
  Cook Islands 4 1 3 0 0 11 September 2022 15 September 2022
  Fiji 6 5 1 0 0 9 September 2022 9 September 2022
  Japan 2 1 1 0 0 23 July 2023 28 July 2023
  Kuwait 2 0 2 0 0 7 March 2024
  Malaysia 6 3 3 0 0 29 September 2019 29 September 2019
  Papua New Guinea 7 0 7 0 0 22 March 2019
  Philippines 4 2 2 0 0 23 March 2019 23 March 2019
  Samoa 7 4 3 0 0 9 July 2019 12 July 2019
  Tanzania 1 1 0 0 0 5 March 2024 5 March 2024

Records complete to T20I #2799. Last updated 24 August 2024.

Coaching history

edit

See also

edit

Notes

edit
  1. ^ T20 World Cup Qualifier refers to the Regional Final of the ICC East Asia-Pacific region from the 2023 edition.

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "Vanuatu Cricket appoints new head coach". Loop Vanuatu. 29 May 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  2. ^ "ICC Rankings". International Cricket Council.
  3. ^ "T20I matches - Team records". ESPNcricinfo.
  4. ^ "T20I matches - 2024 Team records". ESPNcricinfo.
  5. ^ Cricinfo "Vanuatu granted associate status" 6 July 2009 http://www.cricinfo.com/ci-icc/content/story/412973.html. Retrieved 6 July 2009
  6. ^ Other matches played by New Hebrides Archived 3 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine – CricketArchive. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  7. ^ Other matches played by Vanuatu Archived 19 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine – CricketArchive. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  8. ^ "Suriname withdrawal was sparked by Vanuatu appeal". ESPN Cricinfo. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
  9. ^ ICC World Cricket League Division Four Table - 2018
  10. ^ "All T20 matches between ICC members to get international status". International Cricket Council. 26 April 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  11. ^ "All to play for in last ever World Cricket League tournament". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  12. ^ "Jeremy Bray heads to Vanuatu". Emerging Cricket. 13 January 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  13. ^ Suriname pull out of WCL Division 5
  14. ^ Victorious Vanuatu qualifies for World Cricket League Division 5
  15. ^ ESPNcricinfo
  16. ^ a b "Records / Vanuatu / Twenty20 Internationals / Result summary". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  17. ^ "Records / Vanuatu / Twenty20 Internationals / Highest totals". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  18. ^ "Records / Vanuatu / Twenty20 Internationals / High scores". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  19. ^ "Records / Vanuatu / Twenty20 Internationals / Best bowling figures". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  20. ^ "Records / Vanuatu / Twenty20 Internationals / Most runs". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  21. ^ "Records / Vanuatu / Twenty20 Internationals / Most wickets". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 24 March 2019.