PNG Lewas stars join South Australia for National Indigenous Cricket Championships

Four members of the Papua New Guinea Lewas have joined the South Australia Indigenous Women’s Cricket Team to compete in the 2026 National Indigenous Cricket Championships [NICC].

The players in Brenda Tau, Henao Thomas, Dika Lohia, and Sibona Jimmy, arrived in Queensland on Sunday to participate in the week-long tournament, which runs from April 14 to April 19 in Mackay.

The inclusion of the PNG internationals is part of a broader initiative supported by PacificAus Sports and Cricket Australia to foster high-performance pathways and strengthen cricket ties between Australia and the Pacific region.

The tournament serves as both a competitive platform and a professional development hub. Accompanying the players is PNG Lewas Strength & Conditioning Coach Anthea Murray, who is embedded within the championship’s high-performance environment to observe elite training protocols and build coaching capacity for Cricket PNG.

Tau, who is the current Lewas skipper, speaking from Mackay, emphasized the dual importance of competition and education.

"We look forward to playing alongside the South Australia Indigenous Cricket Team and hope not only to learn but to give our best throughout the championship," Tau said. "I want to thank the South Australia team for welcoming us and Cricket Australia for this continued support."