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Hayden Dickson of the Cook Islands won the Man of the Match award for his score of 112 runs off 57 balls. Cook Islands Cricket/24081635
The Cook Islands cricket team got off to a brilliant start in their ICC East Asia Pacific Qualifiers Group A match in Apia, Samoa yesterday.
The Craig Murray-coached side recorded a historic nine-wicket win over Vanuatu in the first match of the tournament.
Vanuatu, the highest ranked team in the tournament, batted first and won by 5-180 in 20 overs.
The Cook Islands responded with an innings of 186-1 in 19.1 overs.
Cook Islands native Hayden Dickson won the man of the match award for his score of 112 runs off 57 balls.
Dickson hit 10 fours and 7 sixes in his innings. He received great support from Thomas Parima (32 (22)) and captain Maala Avi (36 (32)).
“This is a historic day for Cook Islands Cricket and a great start to the tournament,” said team manager Rahul Patil.
In the other match, hosts Samoa beat Fiji by nine goals.
The Cook Islands will play Samoa tomorrow before facing Fiji in their final match.
The champion of the tournament will compete alongside the EAP sub-region Group B winner, the four Asian sub-regional qualifiers, as well as Nepal, Oman and Papua New Guinea.
Three of these nine teams will qualify for the 2026 T20 World Cup to be held in India and Sri Lanka.
Four Rarotongan players, Tim (Teaomua) Anker, Pita Ravarua, Tiaki Wuatai and Tomakanute Ritawa, join the rest of the New Zealand national team. The New Zealand players include: Ma’ara Ave (captain), Liam Denny, Cory Dickson, Hayden Dickson, Milton Kavana (vice-captain), Aue Parima, Thomas Parima, Andrew Samuels, Oscar Taylor and Jared Tutty.
The six matches will be held in icc.tv.
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