Cricket: NZ Maori edge out Fiji for Pacifica win

New Zealand Maori beat Fiji by three wickets to win the first Pacifica cricket tournament in Auckland yesterday.

After a see-saw battle in which both sides had a chance of taking the title, the Maori middle order of McGlashan (49 not out) and Tane Topia (24) added a vital 34 for the sixth wicket after their side looked vulnerable at 93 for five chasing the Fijian score of 164.

The Fijians were 60 for six in the middle stages of their innings but Tavo Sorovakatini (37) and Naulivou (28 not out) put together 57 for the seventh wicket to pull their side around.

Fiji and third-placed Papua New Guinea, will play in the ICC Cup tournament in Toronto, Canada, starting on June 28. The top three sides there will be eligible for the World Cup next year. The Maori team are ineligible to play in that tournament.