Mele Through to Both Men's & Women's Finals After Thrilling Weekend of Semi-Final Action in Port Vila T20 Cricket Champs

The Haos Blo Wok Port Vila Men’s and Pacific Private Bank Women’s T20 Championships delivered some edge-of-the-seat action on Saturday on a glorious day at the Vanuatu Cricket Grounds, setting up a weekend of exciting finals between the top teams in Port Vila.

After bowling Ifira out for a minuscule six runs, Splashe Mele Bulls women will come up against the Independence Park Chiefs in the Pacific Private Bank Women's T20 decider this Saturday at 10am.

Splashe Mele Bulls men fought back from their PCS Independence Cup semi-final loss to win through to the Haos Blo Wok final where they will meet defending champions North Efate from 1pm.

Pacific Private Bank Women's T20 Semi-Finals:

Splashe Mele Bulls cull Ifira Blackbirds

The Pacific Private Bank Women’s T20 1 v 4 semi-final saw the minor premiers Splashe Mele Bulls crush the Ifira Blackbirds by 9 wickets.

The Blackbirds were bowled out for just 6 runs in 4.4 overs, thanks to a devastating bowling display by Rayline Ova, who took 4 wickets for 3 runs, supported by Joy Mansale’s 2 wickets for 3 runs. The Bulls chased the tiny target in just 2 overs with minimal fuss.

Independence Park Chiefs topple Tafea

In the other women’s semi-final, Independence Park Chiefs posted 83 for 4 in 12 overs, with Naitha Simelum top scoring with 29 and Vanessa Vira adding 20. Their bowling attack, led by Vira’s 3 wickets, then restricted Tafea Cricket Club to 65 for 7, securing an 18-run victory.

Haos Blo Wok Men's T20 Semi-Finals:

North Efate Bush Pigs dominate Mighty Saints

In a high-energy semi-final at the Port Vila cricket grounds on August 2, minor premiers North Efate Bush Pigs earned their spot in the Haos Blo Wok Men’s T20 final, defeating the Mighty Saints by 25 runs.

Batting first, the Pigs posted a competitive 135 for 8 in 19.2 overs. Nick Venables led the way with a brisk 38 off 28 balls, including two sixes, while Tim Cutler contributed a steady 27 runs, the two sharing a half-centruy partnership which steadied the ship after three quick wickets. Ronald Tari and Clement Tommy chipped in valuable runs, and Andy White’s unbeaten 13 helped North Efate set a challenging target.

The Pig's bowlers then executed an impressive defence, bowling Mighty Saints out for 110 in 16.2 overs. Standout was off-spinner Ronald Tari, picking up 3 wickets for just 11 runs in two overs. Lefties Cutler and Venables were misery opening up, sharing four wickets between them, while Mathew Earl also picked up a brace of Mighty Saint victims.

Despite a spirited 46 from Lazaro Carlot and 23 from Junior Alfred Carlot, Mighty Saints were unable to chase down the total.

Splashe Mele Bulls smash Tafea

The other men’s semi-final saw Splashe Mele Bulls put on a dominant all-round performance to dismantle Tafea by 77 runs. The Bulls set a commanding total of 174 for 9, powered by Andrew Mansale’s explosive 47 off 20 balls and solid contributions from Patrick Matautaava (34 runs) and Rival Samson.

In response, Tafea struggled to keep up, falling to 97 all out in 16.2 overs. Patrick Matautaava led the bowling attack with 3 wickets for 26 runs, while Mansale took 4 wickets to finish off the innings early. Despite resistance from Williamsing Nalisa and Rodrick Lekai, Tafea couldn’t bridge the gap.

This Weekend’s Final Showdowns – Saturday, August 9, 2025

Division	Match
Women’s Final - 10AM	Splashe Mele Bulls vs Independence Park Chiefs
Men's/Open Final - 1PM	North Efate Bushpigs vs Splashe Mele Bulls

The upcoming finals will bring Port Vila's senior T20 cricket to a close for 2025 with only the 40-over Shield, and North v South Rep games to follow.

Entrance is free and drinks and food will be on sale all day.

For full scorecards, ball-by-ball updates, and live coverage, please visit: https://cricclubs.com/Vanuatu

Media Contact: Vanuatu Cricket Media Relations: jason.boe@cricket.vu