Fiji secured a dominant 104-run victory over Cook Islands in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup East Asia-Pacific Region Qualifier A, thanks to a stellar all-round performance led by Apete Sokovagone at Faleata Oval No 2. The win marked Fiji’s largest margin of victory in T20Is, surpassing their previous best of 66 runs against Samoa.
Match Report:
Electing to bat first, Fiji posted a formidable total of 173/7 in their 20 overs. Apete Sokovagone was the star of the innings, scoring a brilliant 62 off 37 balls, supported by a quickfire 30 from captain Peni Vuniwaqa. Despite a strong bowling effort from Cook Islands’ Oscar Taylor, who took 3/25, Fiji managed to set a challenging target.
In response, Cook Islands struggled from the outset, with Fiji’s bowlers delivering a clinical performance. Peni Dakainivanua (3/11) and Sunia Yalimaiwai (2/11) tore through the Cook Islands batting lineup, restricting them to just 69/9 in their 20 overs. Andrew Samuels top-scored for Cook Islands with 11* off 23 balls, but it wasn’t enough to avoid a crushing defeat.
Key Moments:
- Apete Sokovagone’s Match-Winning Knock: Sokovagone’s 62 off 37 balls was the cornerstone of Fiji’s innings, setting up a formidable total.
- Record-Breaking Wicketkeeping by Beitaki: Metuisela Beitaki set a new record for most dismissals by a Fijian wicketkeeper in a T20I innings, with 3 dismissals.
Additional Records:
- Fiji’s 104-run win against Cook Islands is their largest margin of victory in terms of runs in T20Is, surpassing their 66-run win against Samoa.
- This match saw the lowest match aggregate (242) involving Fiji and Cook Islands in T20Is.
- Metuisela Beitaki set a new record for most dismissals by a Fijian wicketkeeper in T20Is, with a total of 6 dismissals in the match.
Brief Scores:
Fiji: 173/7 in 20 overs (Apete Sokovagone 62, Oscar Taylor 3/25, Jared Tutty 2/24).
Cook Islands: 69/9 in 20 overs (Andrew Samuels 11*, Peni Dakainivanua 3/11, Sunia Yalimaiwai 2/11).
Fiji’s commanding performance underlined their dominance in this T20 World Cup Qualifier, with both their batting and bowling units firing on all cylinders. Cook Islands, meanwhile, will need to regroup after a disappointing performance.
