Former WHITE FERNS representative Katie Perkins recently took time away from her te reo Māori studies to attend the ICC Men's T20 WC EAP Sub-Regional 'A' Qualifier in Samoa.
Commentating alongside Australia’s Daniel Beswick, Perkins called a total of 12 matches between Samoa, Vanuatu, Cook Islands and Fiji.
The tournament came down to the last over of the last game to determine the winner, providing fantastic entertainment for fans and commentators alike.
The tournament even included a record-breaking performance, Samoa's Darius Visser breaking the record for most runs from one over of a men's T20I contest with 39 runs against Vanuatu.
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Perkins described the opportunity as a fantastic learning experience, and an eye opener into the talent that exists in the Pacific.
“It was fantastic to work alongside Daniel and the rest of the team,” said Perkins.
“Observing their skills was extremely valuable, and I was able to take away a number of learnings regarding my own commentary,”
“Pacific cricket is so unpredictable and a very entertaining watch, there is so much raw talent that needs supporting and the opportunity to play.”
Perkins was also a lead commentator at the 2024 Pacific Cup, calling the inaugural Aotearoa Māori women’s side while threading in some te reo Māori.
Perkins communicated her desire to showcase te reo Māori in future commentary opportunities.
“I have aspirations to be involved in future commentating roles, especially in contexts where I am able to support the inclusion of te reo Māori in the broadcast,” said Perkins.
“I would love to be part of the work being done to whakamana (empower/enhance) te reo Māori in cricket contexts by being part of commentary teams broadcasting cricket from within Aotearoa.”
Perkins with the Fijian women's team at the South Seas Pacific Cup - NZC
Samoa’s victory earns them qualification in next year’s combined EAP/Asia Qualifier.
The top three sides in that tournament will join Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the 2026 T20 World Cup who have pre-qualified already.
Read more about Samoa’s victory here.
