Samoa Women’s U19 Team Makes History with T20 World Cup Qualification

Article by Daniel Beswick

In a surprising turn of events, Samoa has emerged victorious in the U19 Women’s East Asia-Pacific Qualifier, securing their place in the Women’s U19 T20 World Cup next year. This marks the first time a Samoan team, in either men’s or women’s cricket, has qualified for a World Cup across any format or age level.

Samoa vs Fiji: The Deciding Match

With their fate in their own hands, Avetia Fetu Mapu’s team clinched their World Cup spot with a four-wicket win over Fiji, wrapping up the match with 34 balls to spare.

Despite entering the competition as underdogs, Samoa proved their mettle from the get-go. They started their campaign with a confident chase of 124 against Papua New Guinea, backed by Mapu’s 31* (23) and No.3 Verra Farane’s 44 (31).

They continued their winning streak against hosts Indonesia in two nail-biting matches, defending a mere 81 in their second encounter, thanks to Silepea Plataivao’s impressive 6/15 (4).

Samoa’s Journey to the Top

Although Samoa lost to Papua New Guinea in their second meeting, Papua New Guinea’s earlier loss to Indonesia meant that Samoa only needed a final-day win to secure their top spot and qualification.

Fiji’s Mele Waqanisau’s hat-trick may have caused some jitters in the Samoan camp during their chase of 89. However, the solid groundwork laid by senior Samoan international Angel Sootaga So ensured a successful chase in the 15th over.