The Papua New Guinea women's national cricket team, nicknamed the Lewas, represents Papua New Guinea in international women's cricket. The team is organised by Cricket PNG, an associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Papua New Guinea has been the leading women's associate team in the ICC East Asia-Pacific (EAP) since its international debut in 2006. It has represented EAP at the 50-Over World Cup Qualifier and T20 World Cup Qualifier on a number of occasions, making the semi-finals of the 2018 and 2019 T20 World Cup Qualifiers. It was awarded One Day International (ODI) status in 2022.

History Papua New Guinea made its international debut in September 2006, playing a three-match series against Japan to determine which team would represent the ICC East Asia-Pacific (EAP) region at the 2008 World Cup Qualifier.Other women's matches played by Papua New Guinea women – CricketArchive. Retrieved 26 November 2015. Papua New Guinea won the series against Japan three–nil, but at the World Cup Qualifier won only two matches, both against Bermuda.Women's List A matches played by Papua New Guinea women – CricketArchive. Retrieved 26 November 2015.

The team failed to qualify for either the 2011 World Cup Qualifier or the 2013 World Twenty20 Qualifier, with Japan representing the EAP region on both occasions.Women's Twenty20 matches played by Papua New Guinea women – CricketArchive. Retrieved 26 November 2015.

At the 2015 Pacific Games, which Papua New Guinea hosted, a women's cricket event was included for the first time. The team narrowly lost to Samoa in the final, having been undefeated up to that point. Later in the year, Papua New Guinea participated at its second global tournament, the 2015 World Twenty20 Qualifier, placing fifth out of eight teams.

In April 2018, the ICC granted full Women's Twenty20 International (WT20I) status to all its members. Therefore, all Twenty20 matches played between Papua New Guinea women and other international sides since 1 July 2018 have the full WT20I status.

The team played its first WT20I match against Bangladesh on 7 July 2018 at VRA Cricket Ground, Amstelveen in the Netherlands in the 2018 ICC Women's World Twenty20 Qualifier.

In December 2020, the ICC announced the qualification pathway for the 2023 ICC Women's T20 World Cup. Papua New Guinea were named in the 2021 ICC Women's T20 World Cup EAP Qualifier regional group, alongside seven other teams. However, in August 2021, the International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed that the tournament had been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and due to their ranking, Papua New Guinea qualified for the global qualifier held in 2022.

In October 2021, it was reported that Australian Kath Hempenstall had been appointed head coach of the Lewas in preparation for the 2021 Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, and it was expected that Hempenstall would meet the team in person for the first time there. However, on 8 November 2021, Papua New Guinea announced that they had been forced to withdraw due to several players testing positive for COVID-19.

In May 2022, the ICC announced Papua New Guinea as one of five women's sides to gain Women's One Day International (ODI) status.

The team played its first WODI match against Zimbabwe on 24 March 2024 at the Harare Sports Club, Harare during their tour of Zimbabwe.

Current squad

This lists all the players who were named in the PNG squad for the 2024 Netherlands Women's Tri-Nation Series. Updated on 15 August 2024.

Name Age Batting style Bowling style Notes Batters Tanya Ruma Right-handed Right-arm medium Naoani Vare Right-handed Right-arm medium Kevau Frank Right-handed Lakshmi Rajadurai Right-handed Right-arm medium All-rounders Sibona Jimmy Left-handed Right-arm off break Vicky Araa Right-handed Right-arm off break Pauke Siaka Right-handed Right-arm medium Wicket-keeper Brenda Tau Left-handed Captain Spin Bowlers Henao Thomas Right-handed Right-arm off break Dika Lohia Right-handed Right-arm off break Pace Bowlers Isabel Toua Right-handed Right-arm medium Geua Tom Right-handed Right-arm medium Vicky Buruka Left-handed Left-arm medium Mahuta Jayphert Right-handed Right-arm medium

Tournament history ICC Women's ODI World Cup

Women's Cricket World Cup recordsHostYearRoundPositionGPWLTNR 1973 Did not qualify 1978 1982 1988 1993 1997 2000 2005 2009 2013 2017 2022 2025Total0/130 Titles00000

ICC Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier ICC Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier records HostYearRoundPositionGPWLTNR 2003Did not qualify 2008 2011 2017 2021 2025Total0/60 Title00000

ICC Women's World T20

Twenty20 World Cup recordsHostYearRoundPositionGPWLTNR 2009 Did not qualify 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2023 2024 2026To be determined Total0/90 Titles00000 ICC Women's Twenty20 Global Qualifier ICC Women's World Twenty20 Qualifier recordsHostYearRoundPositionGPWLTNR 2013Did not qualify 2015DNQ5/853200 2018DNQ4/852300 2019DNQ4/852300 2022DNQ5/853200 2024Did not qualify 2026To be determined Total4/60 Titles20101000

Cricket at Summer Olympics Games Cricket at Summer Olympics records HostYearRoundPositionGPWLTNR 2028To be determined 2032Total–0 Title00000 ICC Women's T20 Champions Trophy ICC Women's T20 Champions Trophy recordsHostYearRoundPositionGPWLTNR 2027To be determined 2031Total–0 Title00000 ICC Women's Twenty20 World Cup East Asia Pacific Qualifier ICC Women's Twenty20 World Cup Qualifier East Asia Pacific recordsYearRoundPositionGPWLTNR 2019ChampionQualified1/654100 2021The tournament had been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2023DNQ2/765100 2025ChampionQualified1/855000 Total3/32 Titles1614200

Women's T20I Pacific Cup Women's T20I Pacific Cup records Host/YearRoundPositionGPWLTNR 2022Round-robin1/665001 2024Round-robin1/665100Total2/20 Titles1211101

Cricket at the Pacific Games Pacific Games recordYearRoundPositionGPWLTNR 2015Runners-up2/665100 2019Runners-up2/475200Total2/20 Titles1310300 East Asia Pacific Women's Championship East Asia Pacific Women's Championship recordsHost/YearRoundPositionGPWLTNR 2010Women's East Asia-Pacific Trophy 2010 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 30 June.Champion1/6The full information of the tournament have not found 2012ICC East Asia-Pacific Women's Championship 2012 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 30 June.Champion1/6The full information of the tournament have not found 2014ICC East Asia-Pacific Women's Championship 2014 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 30 June.Champion1/5The full information of the tournament have not found 2016Champion1/6The full information of the tournament have not foundTotal4/44 Titles00000

Records and statistics International Match Summary — Papua New Guinea Women

Last updated 17 August 2026 Playing Record Format M W L T NR Inaugural Match One-Day Internationals 16 3 13 0 0 24 March 2024 Twenty20 Internationals 78 51 24 1 2 7 July 2018

One-Day Internationals Highest team total: 196 v. Scotland on 6 August 2024 at Sportpark Maarschalkerweerd, Utrecht. Highest individual score: 80*, Tanya Ruma v. United States on 11 April 2024 at ICC Academy Ground, Dubai. Best innings bowling: 4/19, Vicky Ara'a v. Zimbabwe on 26 March 2024 at Harare Sports Club, Harare.

ODI record versus other nations

Records complete to WODI #1559. Last updated 17 August 2026.

Opponent M W L T NR First match First win ICC Full Members 3 0 3 0 0 24 March 2024 ICC Associate members 2 0 2 0 0 5 August 2024 3 0 3 0 0 12 April 2024 3 0 3 0 0 13 August 2026 4 2 2 0 0 13 October 2025 15 October 2025 1 1 0 0 0 11 April 2024 11 April 2024

Twenty20 International

Highest team total: 224/1 v. Philippines on 10 September 2025 at Albert Park Ground 2, Suva. Highest individual innings: 130*, Konio Oala v. Philippines on 10 September 2025 at Albert Park Ground 2, Suva. Best innings bowling: 5/1, Pauke Siaka v. Philippines on 10 September 2025 at Albert Park Ground 2, Suva.

Most T20I runs for PNG Women PlayerRunsAverageCareer spanBrenda Tau 1,369 27.38 2019–2026Naoani Vare 1,276 25.01 2019–2026Tanya Ruma 1,261 33.18 2019–2026Sibona Jimmy 750 15.62 2019–2026Pauke Siaka 507 15.36 2018–2026

Most T20I wickets for PNG Women PlayerWicketsAverageCareer spanKaia Arua 59 10.20 2019–2024Isabel Toua 56 13.62 2018–2026Sibona Jimmy 52 14.44 2019–2026Ravina Oa 49 10.40 2019–2023Henao Thomas 40 16.97 2019–2026

T20I record versus other nations

Records complete to WT20I #2953. Last updated 10 August 2026. Opponent M W L T NR First match First win ICC Full members 3 0 3 0 0 7 July 2018 3 0 3 0 0 12 July 2018 4 0 3 1 0 18 September 2022 ICC Associate members 2 2 0 0 0 2 September 2023 2 September 2023 8 8 0 0 0 7 May 2019 7 May 2019 3 3 0 0 0 6 May 2019 6 May 2019 3 3 0 0 0 9 May 2019 9 May 2019 3 3 0 0 0 15 November 2025 15 November 2025 3 2 0 0 1 10 July 2018 10 July 2018 1 1 0 0 0 10 September 2025 10 September 2025 13 10 3 0 0 10 May 2019 10 May 2019 6 2 4 0 0 14 July 2018 1 September 2019 1 1 0 0 0 30 November 2025 30 November 2025 6 2 4 0 0 5 September 2019 21 November 2025 1 0 1 0 0 25 November 2025 25 November 2025 3 3 0 0 0 8 July 2018 8 July 2018 3 2 1 0 0 3 September 2019 3 September 2019 12 10 1 0 1 6 May 2019 6 May 2019

See also List of Papua New Guinea women ODI cricketers List of Papua New Guinea women Twenty20 International cricketers

References

Further reading