VILIAME Yabaki took three wickets for five runs to help his HMT Barbarians beat Sportsworld Bulls by nine wickets in the first round of Cricket Fiji Elite Player League competition over the weekend.
The Bulls won the toss and selected to bat but their batting order crumbled — thanks to outstanding bowling from Yabaki. They only managed 86 runs.
Barbarians chased down the score with the loss of only one wicket to claim the crushing victory at Suva's Albert Park. Rukesh Patel top-scored with 39 runs not out.
In the second match of the Courts Fiji-sponsored competition, the Novotel Warriors beat Modimedia Knights by four wickets.
The league competition is a means for Cricket Fiji to identify players who are capable of representing Fiji on the international stage next year.
Cricket Fiji chief executive officer Sonny Henderson said it was good to see cricket back for the 2012 season.
"We were blessed with perfect weather and a high standard of cricket during round one of the competition," he said.
A national team will be selected to prepare for the East Asia Pacific (EAP) Regional competition that will be held in Auckland, New Zealand, in February and will be a build-up for the national side for the World League Division 7 Competition.
This Saturday's games will see the Barbarians take on Warriors while the Knights will face the Bulls at 10am at Albert Park.