Greenvale Kangaroos Cricket Club Welcomes Three Vanuatu International Stars With Round One Win

Following on from their silver medal finish at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup East Asia Pacific Qualifier, three of Vanuatu’s national team stars arrived in Australia last Thursday to begin their professional season with Greenvale Kangaroos Cricket Club in Melbourne. Rachel Andrew, Nasimana Navaika, and Vanessa Vira all made their debut for the club on Sunday, playing key roles in a hard-fought win for Greenvale.

While both Andrew and Navaika have experience playing for clubs and franchises overseas, it is off spinner Vanessa Vira’s first professional contract. The 18-year-old has already represented Vanuatu in 28 T20 Internationals since debuting two years ago, taking 32 wickets at an average of 12.1. Her outstanding economy rate of 4.22 runs per over currently ranks her as the 35th best in global women’s cricket history.

In their opening round clash against Geelong Cricket Club, it was the Vanuatu duo of Andrew and Navaika who led the charge for Greenvale. Andrew smashed a rapid 35 from just 18 balls, finding the boundary eight times, while Navaika remained unbeaten on 37 from 19 with six boundaries of her own. Their efforts helped Greenvale post an imposing 163 from their 20 overs for the loss of just four wickets.

Geelong made a spirited chase of it, finishing on 158 for six, but Greenvale held their nerve to claim a five-run win. Andrew took the new ball and bowled with precision, returning tidy figures of 1 for 19 from her three overs. Vira added 1 for 34 from her four overs, while Navaika’s three overs went for 36. Capping off a strong all-round performance, Vanuatu skipper Andrew also held on to two catches, including one off Vira’s bowling, to help seal the victory.

The three players at Port Vila International Airport before their departure. (Left - Right: Rachel Andrew, Nasimana Navaika,Vanessa Vira, Chris Laffan [High Performance Manager & National Head Coach])

The Vanuatu Cricket Association is proud to see Rachel, Nasimana, and Vanessa take this next step in their cricketing journey. It is incredibly rewarding to see our players earn professional opportunities overseas, and we know they will represent both Greenvale and Vanuatu with excellence. We are grateful to the Greenvale Kangaroos Cricket Club for opening this pathway and recognising the talent of our players. Experiences like these are invaluable as they help our players grow on and off the field, and the knowledge they bring home will strengthen women’s cricket in Vanuatu for years to come.