27 Feb 2015

Sport: Vanuatu cricketers holding back

10:21 am on 27 February 2015

The Vanuatu cricketers plan to keep some surprises up their sleeves during their final round robin match at the Under 19 World Cup qualifiers.

Fiji will seal their spot at next year's World Cup with a win over Samoa, which would leave Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea in a race for second place.

The teams clash on Friday in Blenheim in what is effectively a dress rehearsal for a likely meeting on Saturday, with the winner of that match to advance to a global World Cup qualifier later in the year.

Vanuatu coach Shane Deitz says, with everything to play for tomorrow, they don't want to reveal too much just yet.

"I think we will give every guy who hasn't played a game so far an opportunity [on Friday] and try a few things, looking at Saturday for a big contest and when the pressure is on hopefully we will come up with the goods. [There's] more pressure on PNG than us. We have no expectations here, we're just happy to be in New Zealand playing these games and giving the guys an experience of international cricket."