By Himadullah Sohoo 
Day 2 of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup East Asia Pacific Qualifier 2025 in Suva, Fiji, lived up to its billing as a festival of women’s cricket in the Pacific. With four matches played across two venues, the day produced a blend of dominant victories, clinical bowling spells, and record-breaking batting displays. From Japan’s disciplined dismantling of Samoa to Papua New Guinea’s jaw-dropping power show against the Philippines, the tournament narrative continued to take shape with teams showcasing both emerging talent and regional pride.
Match 5 — Japan Women def Samoa Women by 71 runs (Albert Park 1)
Japan (133/5) constructed exactly the kind of first-innings platform that travels in Suva: low risk through the Powerplay, rotation in the middle, then a tidy finishing kick. Erika Oda (27 off 36) absorbed the early seam and cross-breeze; skipper Mai Yanagida (40 off 36) changed gears with five crisp boundaries through extra-cover and backward point. When Samoa pushed cutters into the pitch, Haruna Iwasaki (24 off 18) countered with late cuts and a pair of inside-out drives. Japan still looked a touch short until 19th-over chaos—two wickets fell, but Ahilya Chandel (13)* and Ayumi Fujikawa (4)* squeezed vital late runs to 133.
Samoa’s reply never settled. New-ball pair Nonoha Yasumoto (4–0–11–4) and Ahilya Chandel (1/13) hit a nagging fourth-stump line and let the pitch do the work. Early scalps of Sootaga and Pouta forced the middle into rebuild mode; Japan then doubled down by switching pace from both ends as Erika Toguchi-Quinn (2/14) struck twice. Despite a bright six from Sootaga, Samoa were 62 all out in 13.5 overs—undone by relentless discipline and tight ring fielding.
Brief scores:
Japan 133/5 (Yanagida 40, Oda 27, Iwasaki 24; Iosefo 2/28)
Samoa 62 (Yasumoto 4/11, Toguchi-Quinn 2/14)
Result: Japan won by 71 runs. POTM: Mai Yanagida.
Match 6 — Indonesia Women def Fiji Women by 42 runs (Albert Park 2)
Indonesia delivered a complete T20 away-day: top-order ballast, middle-overs composure, and a bowling unit that hunted in pairs. Maria Corazon (38 off 32) set the tempo with clean pickups over midwicket and third-man dabs; captain-keeper Ni Putu Ayu Nanda Sakarini (44 off 47) took the baton, refusing dot-ball build-up while shepherding the innings beyond the 15-over mark. When Fiji dragged it back with Silivia Kijiana (4–0–15–2), Indonesia found a late kick through Fitria Rada Rani (17 off 18)* and a torrent of wides/no-balls that Fiji will rue, reaching 143/6—par-plus on the used surface.
The chase faltered early with two wickets in the first three overs and never truly recovered. Tabatha Saville (33 off 23) counterpunched—muscling one over long-on and threading two timely fours—but Indonesia always had an answer. Ni Ariani (4–1–11–1) bowled a match-shaping spell of hard length and stump-threat, while Ni Putri Suwandewi (2/19) and Ni Luh Dewi Wesika (1/18) chipped away at the engine room. Fiji’s lower-middle order fought to 101, but the visitors’ fielding—two smart run-outs—slammed the door.
Brief scores:
Indonesia 143/6 (Nanda Sakarini 44, Corazon 38; Kijiana 2/15, Waqavakatoga 2/28)
Fiji 101 (Saville 33; Suwandewi 2/19, Ariani 1/11, Wesika 1/18)
Result: Indonesia won by 42 runs. POTM: Ni Putu Ayu Nanda Sakarini.
Match 7 — Papua New Guinea Women def Philippines Women by 168 runs (Albert Park 1)
Record-watchers, take note. Konio Oala produced a towering T20I masterclass: 130 off 71 (23×4, 2×6)**—one of the great Associate hundreds—powering PNG to 224/1, the kind of total that changes net run rate conversations for the rest of the week. With Naoani Vare (49) providing serenity at the other end, Oala cashed in on anything fractionally short or straight, carving the square and pounding the arc from cover to cow. Skipper Brenda Tau (31 off 13) iced it with a late-overs blast (6 fours), as PNG reeled off 67 runs in the last 4.3 overs.
The Philippines, fresh from a tough Day 1, ran into a juggernaut. Hane Tau (2/9) removed both openers with classic keeper-batter set-ups, before Henao Thomas (2/11) shut down the rebuild. Then came the coup de grâce: Pauke Siaka (3.4–2–1–5)—five wickets for one run—sweeping away the tail with a clinic in flight and dip. The chase ended at 56 all out; PNG’s net run rate shot into the stratosphere.
Brief scores:
PNG 224/1 (Oala 130*, Vare 49, Brenda Tau 31*)
Philippines 56 (Siaka 5/1, Hane Tau 2/9, Henao Thomas 2/11)
Result: PNG won by 168 runs. POTM: Konio Oala.
Match 8 — Vanuatu Women def Cook Islands Women by 7 wickets (Albert Park 2)
Cook Islands posted a rare one-down 118/1, anchored by an assured stand between Tetiare Mataora (49 off 63)* and *Zamera Ikiua (52 off 53)**. On a surface offering tennis-ball bounce, they played late and straight, refusing the cross-bat urge and cashing on width. Vanuatu’s bowlers stayed honest but couldn’t pry out a middle-order look; it felt competitive—until Valenta Langiatu arrived.
Vanuatu’s chase was a model of clarity. Rachel Andrew (23) set the angles, Langiatu (45 off 30, 9×4) flattened the equation with fast hands through point, and Nasimana Navaika (29 off 25)* closed with unhurried maturity. Even Ikiua’s handy 1/3 cameo with the ball and Esther Williams’ tidy 1/13 couldn’t stem the flow as Vanuatu cruised to 122/3 in 15.1—two from two on the tournament.
Brief scores:
Cook Islands 118/1 (Ikiua 52*, Mataora 49*; Vira 1/24)
Vanuatu 122/3 (Langiatu 45, Navaika 29*; Williams 1/13, Ikiua 1/3)
Result: Vanuatu won by 7 wickets. POTM: Zamera Ikiua.
Anas Ahmed