Guernsey are playing host to Papua New Guinea over the next few days as the Pacific island side prepare for the upcoming Cricket World Cup Challenge League tournament over in Jersey. Today they played each other in a T20I at the KGV ground, the first meeting between the two sides, and the first time Guernsey have played a T20I against a team from outside of Europe.

Papua New Guinea captain Assad Vala won the toss and put the home side in to bat. Lucas Barker fell in the second over with fellow opener Josh Butler out soon afterwards in the fourth over. Tom and Oliver Nightingale then added 49 for the third wicket with Oliver contributing just eight of those before he was run out.

Tom Nightingale and Issac Damarell put on 73 for the fourth wicket before the former was out for 75, the top score of the Guernsey innings. Damarell was out from the last ball of the 19th over for 45, and the final total for the Guernsey side was 165-6.

After losing Peter Karoho early in their reply, the PNG second wicket pair of Sese Bau and Bojo Ray were just short of a century partnership, adding 99 before Ray was out for 46. Bau batted on, eventually scoring 85 from 52 balls before he was finally dismissed in the 19th over.

Sese Bau (Cricket PNG)

Charlie Forshaw then had Kipling Doriga out lbw first ball to be on a hat-trick. Hila Vare kept out the hat-trick ball and eventually hit the winning runs with four balls to spare to win by six wickets.

The teams will meet in two 50-over matches this weekend on the same ground.