T20 grand final took on new meaning after teammate died in 7.3-magnitude earthquake that struck Port Vila last week
By Ella Archibald-Binge
There’s an air of nervous anticipation as Andrew Mansale strides out to the pitch for the Twenty20 cricket grand final in the small town of Stanthorpe, 200km south-west of Brisbane.
The international cricketer from Vanuatu entered local folklore a fortnight ago, bludgeoning a miraculous 195 not out off 65 balls in a debut innings that is still spoken about in reverent tones over stubbies of beer at the clubhouse.
The town’s newspaper reported he hit “20 sixes, 10 fours, three cars and the scoreboard” to help his team reach the grand final undefeated.
Mansale’s side, dubbed Vanthorpe, is comprised of players from Vanuatu – including several men and two women who represent their country internationally – who pick fruit and vegetables in the region each year through the federal government’s Pacific labour mobility scheme.
Bringing their cricketing prowess, unwavering enthusiasm and a boom box to each game, the players have injected new life into a four-team country competition that was struggling to survive.
The Cinderella story began two years ago when the former international women’s star Valenta Langiatu asked her boss Rodney Prestia, the chief executive of agriculture labour hire company iComply, if she could lend a hand to a local men’s club.
She went on to hit the winning runs in the grand final.
The ABC’s Pacific Beat radio program picked up the story, and Prestia began receiving calls from other elite cricketers turned seasonal workers eager to test their skills in the Stanthorpe competition. Soon, around a dozen Ni-Vanuatu players were donning their whites on a Saturday afternoon, topping up numbers for the struggling local clubs.
This year they joined forces to play together under the Vanthorpe banner in the summer T20 competition.
But their hotly-anticipated grand final took on new meaning in the wake of the 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck Port Vila last week.
Their colleague, Valerie Kalkoa, died in the disaster. The single mother had returned home just three days earlier to spend Christmas with her three-year-old son.
Mansale says the team decided to play in her honour, with the aim of winning the $1,000 prize money to send to Kalkoa’s family.
“We thought it would be a special gift for Christmas, so why don’t we go out there and play – not just for her, but for the people back home,” he says.
On the day of the final, busloads of Ni-Vanuatu workers travel from nearby towns to cheer on their countrymen and women, forming a guard of honour as the players take the field – one holding a framed photo of Kalkoa.
After a minute’s silence, the first ball is bowled, and the sombre mood gives way to a carnival-like atmosphere.
Island music blares over the speakers. The Vanthorpe supporters dance, whistle and wave their national flag. A woman in a traditional bright green dress sits barefoot on the clubhouse steps, eating a meat pie.
Veteran local umpire John Hendry takes in the scene.
“Bit different to usual: about 10 people here and not much happening,” he says.
A few balls in, there’s a sharp intake of breath as Mansale sends a ball towards third slip.
It skips off the turf, and after a beat, the party resumes.
The bowler throws up a full toss, and Mansale smacks it for four. He sends another ball for six, landing on the bitumen beyond the fence.
By the fifth over, he’s clocked up 50 runs and Hendry jogs to the clubhouse to fetch new balls.
“The problem is, he makes the game go twice as long because you’ve gotta keep getting the ball,” he says.
But the captain of the local Valleys side, Damian Anderson, has come to play.
He bowls some slower balls.
Mansale hits one high towards the boundary, and a fielder gets underneath it – dismissing the Vanthorpe powerhouse for 59 off 31 balls in the sixth over. It’s the first time he’s been dismissed in the entire competition.
“To be able to say I got an international cricketer out, I could retire tomorrow happy,” Anderson later tells the crowd.
The Vanthorpe side, however, has no shortage of batting prowess.
They end up posting a very respectable total of 6/186.
Despite a valiant effort, the local team can’t match it: they finish 71 runs shy, delivering a fairytale ending to the visitors.
The music plays and the grass in front of the clubhouse transforms into a dancefloor as the players are cheered from the field.
Watching on, Prestia is grateful the team decided to play.
“It’s given everyone a lift today,” he says.
“Sport brings joy, so hopefully that’s what they’re doing today – they’re bringing a little bit of joy.”
A total of $3500 – raised through prize money, donations from the local cricket clubs and a sizeable contribution from the owners of the town bakery – will go towards helping earthquake victims.
As the crowd disperses and the excitement fades, Mansale says the players have a new focus.
“Our objective now is to get home.”
