Tony Ura of PNG in action © ICC

Fiji and PNG have each booked a place in Friday's gold medal match after wins over Vanuatu and New Caledonia respectively at the Pacific Games Cricket Competition in Noumea.

In the match of the tournament so far, Fiji fought back from the jaws of defeat to snatch a four-run victory over Vanuatu. Set the modest total of 114 to win, Vanuatu were in control for the majority of the run chase before terrific bowling spells from both Viliame Yabaki and Jikoi Kida caused a late innings collapse to hand Fiji the victory.

"It's an awesome feeling to win and I haven't had that feeling for a long time," said Fiji captain Jo Rika. "Yesterday we spoke about playing to our strengths and improving our fielding and bowling and taking nothing away from our great batting performance, but we really improved in the field today."

Sakaraia Lomani was again the stand out with the bat for Fiji smashing another 44 not out and was well supported by his captain Rika who was in fine touch for his 36. In reply Vanuatu were well in control early thanks to a terrific 44 from Lenica Natapei and 27 from Andrew Mansale. However, once Mansale departed and Natapei followed soon after the young Vanuatu side struggled to deal with the spin of Yabaki who took two wickets in three balls to set up the win. Yabaki ended with figures of 4 for 21 and Kida also got well among the wickets taking 3 for 21.

In the afternoon PNG dealt the hosts New Caledonia a significant blow, defeating them by 150 runs and setting up a showdown with Fiji. New Caledonia put up a spirited fight in the field restricting PNG to 197 for 6 off their 20 overs, which considering their performance yesterday against Fiji was a great improvement from the inexperienced side.

"It is a huge pleasure to play against a side like PNG and to keep them to under 200 which was less than Fiji scored against us yesterday and was one of our targets so we are pretty happy," said Noel Sinyeue who top scored and also took two wickets. "To take six wickets against a team like PNG is a real achievement."

For PNG Kapena Arua top scored with 62 and Tony Ura once again performed brilliantly with 57. Sinyeue was the only multiple wicket-taker for New Caledonia ending with figures of 2 for 28.

After a solid performance in the field, sadly it all went downhill with the bat for New Caledonia bowled out for just 47 thanks mainly to an awesome display of bowling from Inoa Baeau who ended with the incredible figures of 5 for 3 from four overs.

Wednesday will see PNG v Fiji and Vanuatu v New Caledonia in two matches that will not influence who will play-off in the medal matches. These fixtures will be repeated again on Friday when PNG and Fiji play off for gold and Vanuatu and New Caledonia for bronze.

PNG's Arua says however they will hold nothing back against Fiji in what is effectively a dead rubber. "We always do the normal routine, we are a good side and always want to maintain our standard," he said. "We have many strengths and tomorrow we will make sure we use them."

Next week's ICC annual get-together promises to have more than its fair share of politicking, posturing and controversy. But, unless there is a major about-turn, it should also be a watershed for the Associates and Affiliates.

In 2009, income from the ICC's six-year media deal with ESPN-Star, worth over US$1 billion, kicks in, and while the game's big boys will still keep the lion's share, the rest will see substantial increases in their incomes.

Although the ICC draws considerable flak on many fronts, it is quietly committed to promoting the game in as many countries as possible, and it does that by means of a myriad of competitions and initiatives. Most do not warrant much media attention, but they are there and they work.

Until now, the gripe of the smaller countries, and especially those bubbling just underneath the top flight, has been about the inequality of the way in which the game is financed. That was never more apparent than when it came to earnings from last year's World Cup.

Ireland got a flat fee of US$125,000 a year for four years for taking part, and on top of that they received another $50,000 for reaching the Super Eights. However, because of the extra costs involved in their progression, not least because their players are not professional cricketers and their absences from their full-time jobs had to be underwritten, Ireland's success actually left the board out of pocket.

Zimbabwe, on the other hand, turned up, tied with Ireland and never threatened to progress after being thumped by Pakistan and West Indies. For those three matches, Zimbabwe Cricket received US$11 million, their share of the pot as a Full Member.

The top six Associates receive no more than US$500,000 a year - some substantially less - to fund their entire operations. Out of that they have to pay all their cricketing and administration costs. Only those with a low cost of living, such as Kenya, can hope to maintain a professional squad on that kind of money.

The gulf between the haves and have-nots is further widened by the limited sums Associates can earn from sponsorship and media contracts. Zimbabwe can exploit home series against, say, India to carve out lucrative TV deals worth millions, and on the back of that, attract shirt- and other corporate sponsorship. As highlighted by Scotland's failure to secure any TV deal for their forthcoming ODI against England, the Associates struggle to get such income streams.

The new deals will provide a substantial increase for Associates, especially for the countries who are pressing for space at the top table. Until now the share has been roughly equal, rewarding Netherlands and Kenya on par with Thailand and Fiji. The new system will see more demarcation between the top Associates and the rest.

The leading ten could earn as much as US$1.5 million a year from 2009. There will then be an onus on them to professionalise their administrations, but several of them are already well down that route. They will also be more accountable - the ICC does not want a repeat of the mess that came following a spike in Kenya's funding earlier in the decade.

The second-string Associates will also get more - around US$160,000 as a base figure - but then again the demands on them are less. Even Affiliates will receive US$15,000, with the opportunity for more should they make a good enough case. There will also be more cash in the pot for participating and hosting competitions.

There have never been more opportunities for development outside the Full Member countries, but there remain some nagging worries.

The main one is how to bridge the gap between semi and full-blown professionalism. Almost all the Associates rely on dedicated amateurs, both on and off the field. As the number of ICC competitions has increased - and they have to be welcomed - the pressure has begun to tell. Scotland and Ireland particularly have already found players cannot meet all their commitments, and even the increased income will not allow them to employ a full-time squad.

"So much of putting players on full-time retainers depends on how many fixtures we can command," Warren Deutrom, Cricket Ireland's chief executive, said. "At the moment, all we can promise the squad in 2009 is a World Cup qualifying campaign, eight FP Trophy matches, an England game, and probably some Intercontinental Cup matches. Of course, we hope to have more, but can't be sure at the moment.

"Our top players are already plying their trade in county cricket, while others have full-time jobs which they may not wish to give up. The actual number of players that the coach will want to put on a full-time contract, or else the number that even want to have one, may not be that many."

The other quandary is how to get them fixtures. Kenya, widely regarded as the leading Associate, have found it almost impossible to get Full Member countries to visit or host them. As a result they invariably play other Associates. Good for the win-loss ratio, not so clever in providing the kind of experience that no amount of money can buy.

These issues will need to be addressed, but for now the future has never looked so promising beyond the Test world.

The number of people actively participating in cricket outside the Test-playing countries increased 17% in 2007, according to the ICC.

The research, carried out by the ICC's development program, was collated from 33 Associate and 58 Affiliate members. It showed that there were 338,051 male and female players in those countries in 2007, an increase of 49,158 on the previous year. Since 2002, when there were 144,047 participants, there has been a 135% rise.

Click here for the full story.

The Chinese People’s Daily - admittedly an unlikely source of cricket news – reports that Papua New Guinea scored 572 for 6 in a South Pacific Games match against New Caledonia.

It broke the previous Games record of 502 for 9, also by PNG against New Caledonia four years ago.

PNG won the toss and started (relatively) sedately, reaching 121 for 0 in thr 14th over before losing two quick wickets, including Kepena for a duck. Opening batsman Uda was the third man out for 123 (299 for 3). Mahuru Dai, who scored a 16-ball fifty in the 1999 Under-19 World Cup, weighed in with 105 and Pala made 142.

Fiji's good form in the Pacific Games continued today when the humbled, or embarrassed, New Caledonia by a whopping 383 runs. Batting first Fiji made 403 for 8 before dismissing New Caledonia for a paltry 20.

They face Tonga on Friday and Samoa on Saturday.

If you have any further information or photos about this match, or any in the Pacific Games, do get in touch

SportingPulse have a full report:

In making its way to its impressive 403 run batting stint, New Caledonia showed very early signs of unsettling Fiji by dismissing opening bat Iliesa Navatu McGoon for 2 runs in the third over and Sekuove Ravoka for 7 runs in the 7th over. However, the entry of Kida Jikoivanualevu into the action saw Fiji gain real composure and the Fiji run scoring machine go into overdrive. Jikoivanualevu and Fiji's captain, Iniasi Cakacaka, settled in at the crease and put on a 71 run partnership before Cakcaka was bowled by S. Kilama for 29 runs. Kida was eventually caught by Midraia off a bowl from Folituu for a well played 67 runs. Fiji's batting depth showed through its batting order with number 7 batsman Tupou Golati making an impressive 71 runs and top scoring for Fiji and Kitione Tavo at number 8 making 42 runs not out with two sixes to his name. Fiji eventually scored 336 runs off the bat with New Caledonia conceding 35 wides and 19 no balls.

New Caledonia, with what can only be described as a mountain to overcome, took to the pitch with the hope of making a close game of the huge run chase. However, the impressive Fijian bowling attack was always going to make the task ahead for the New Caledonian team a real challenge. New Caledonia, in the course of 16 overs, put 20 runs on the board before they were all dismissed by the highly charged Fijian team.

Thanks to Andrew Dunford for the SportingPulse reminder