Thursday 29 July 2010

Highly-respected XXXX GOLD Bulls captain Chris Simpson and Queensland one-day star Craig Philipson have lent their considerable support to Papua New Guinea’s inaugural Twenty20 competition.

Simpson and Philipson are participating in the first weekend of matches starting tomorrow, while also conducting coaching clinics during their stay.

The duo has been joined by well-performed Tasmanians Brendan Drew, Luke Butterworth, Xavier Doherty and Rhett Lockyear for the launch of the six-team Twenty20 Constantinou Shield Bash.

Played over eight weeks, the Constantinou Shield features PNG cricket’s best male and female talent.

There is solid prizemoney on offer, with K50,000 going to the winners of the men’s and women’s divisions, plus individual prizes totalling over K10,000.

The men’s division features all 34 national senior and under 19 players plus a representation of uncontracted players from around PNG, including 16 from Port Moresby, 16 from Central Province, six from Lae, three each from Milne Bay and Kimbe, and two from Vabukori.

The new competition builds on the momentum generated by the just completed series between the PNG national side and an Australian Indigenous XI.