At the Terdthai Cricket Ground in Bangkok, Papua New Guinea rode a gritty bowling performance and a scrappy late run build-up to claim a narrow 8-run win over Thailand in their opening match of the ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy.
PNG got off to a shaky start. Their innings never quite settled: batters kept falling at odd times, and it looked for a while like they might collapse under pressure. But a late recovery came courtesy of two crucial contributors — Isabel Toua, who chipped in 25, and Erani Pokana, who added 16. Their partnership proved the backbone of PNG’s fragile total, helping them reach 92 for 9.
When Thailand came out to bat, they looked in control early, thanks largely to a determined knock from captain Naruemol Chaiwai, who played a steady 44. She anchored the innings and repeatedly tried to guide her team toward what looked like a manageable chase. But wickets fell at regular intervals, and partnerships were hard to build. There was never quite enough momentum, and despite Chaiwai’s resilience, they could only manage 84 for 8 by the end.
The key moment — and the reason PNG held on — was a superb spell from Pauke Siaka. She returned figures of 4 for 12, including a killer maiden over that broke Thailand’s back when they were making a genuine push. Her control and precision under pressure prevented Thailand from gaining a firm foothold and made the difference in a low-scoring game where every run and every wicket counted.
For Thailand, the innings was a mix of grit and missed opportunity. Chaiwai’s 44 was the standout, but the lack of support from the other end proved costly. The middle order couldn’t convert starts into big partnerships, and the lower order didn’t have enough firepower to push the total into truly challenging territory.
PNG, meanwhile, will take this win as a statement: despite early nerves, they kept their composure and pulled off the result when it mattered most. Toua and Pokana’s late innings added the thickness they needed, and Siaka’s bowling gave them the edge. This is exactly the kind of performance that underlines why they’re a team to watch in this tournament.
With this start, PNG will be buoyed for their next matches. They’ve shown they have fight, balance, and enough talent in both departments — batting and bowling — to challenge other associate nations. For Thailand, the loss stings, but the performance from Chaiwai will be a positive from which to build. They’ll need better contributions from more batters if they’re going to stay competitive.
In a tournament defined by small margins, PNG’s discipline under pressure has given them an early advantage — and highlighted their potential to go deep in this competition.
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