2026 T20 World Cup: Samoa surprise entrants to Asia-EAP regional qualifier

With just 26 runs to get and three overs to go for Vanuatu to win, it seemed that Samoa would miss the bus for the 2025 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Asia–East Asia Pacific Regional Final, and with that an opportunity to play the likes of Oman, Nepal, and Papua New Guinea.

However, the home team, playing in the Capital city of Apia, held their nerve in the final game on Saturday and restricted the fancied Vanuatu to five runs in the 18th over, seven in the 19th over, and four in the 20th over, winning the match by eight runs and progressing to regional Qualifier thanks to a better net run rate over Cook Islands who had put up a surprising show.

The Samoans ended with eight points from six matches the same as Cook Islands. However, their superior net run rate of +1.270 against -0.008 of Cook Islands saw them move to first spot.

Cook Islands needed to beat Fiji on August 23 to progress to the next round. They, however, lost that match by nine runs leaving their fate on the last game of the competition between Samoa and Vanuatu.

The team from Vanuatu were expected to be the favourite but they ended in the fourth and final place with two points from six matches. Fiji finished third with six points from six games.

Darius Visser, the 28-year-old Samoan batsman who helped his team take 39 runs from an over, was the top-scorer of the tournament with 265 runs at an average of 53.

Oscar Taylor, with 17 wickets for Cook Islands, was the most successful bowler.

2026 T20 World Cup, ICC, Cricket, Regional Qualifier, East Asia-Pacific, Asian Cricket