By Nick Perry
Kilikiti players are used to competing for boxes of corned beef, but a new tournament offering big prizes is sharpening their edge.
The Supercific Kilikiti tournament in West Auckland finishes next Saturday after four days' play, spread over two weeks, of the Pacific Island variation on cricket.
Money-dealers Xpresstrac put
up prizemoney of $60,000 for the competition. About 200 players from throughout Auckland are competing at the Waitakere Athletic Stadium to become top wicket-taker, top run-scorer, most entertaining player or to be part of the winning team.
John Telea, from the team Tama o le Matamatagi (men from the eye of the storm), said he normally played for cases of corned beef and coconut cream provided by sponsors.
Competing for such big stakes was "too much."
He said thousands of Pacific Islanders in Auckland played kilikiti - perhaps as many as one in every family - spurred on by churches, their families and friends.
Although it was a fun day out, players took the game seriously - doubly so with the prizemoney at stake, he said.
Tournament organiser Pulua'au Pilitati hopes the competition will become annual, eventually expanding nationally and then internationally.
She said she had introduced non-traditional elements to widen the game's appeal, such as a loudspeaker commentary in English and the scoring of fours and sixes over the boundary rope, instead of twos and fours.
Apart from that, the game was similar to its roots last century when missionaries turned Samoan war clubs into "civilised utensils" of play. Pulua'au Pilitati said the colour and spectacle of kilikiti were considered as important as making runs.
A faiaoga (motivator) led the fielding team with a whistle through a series of moves designed to lightheartedly mock departing batters, while supporters on the sidelines cheered, sang and danced.
Players use 1.2m triangular bats with rounded faces. The first team of 20 bat for 30 minutes, then the second team face the same number of balls.
Pictured: Litara Teleiai, of PIC Pearls, whacks for the cash in the Supercific tournament. HERALD PICTURE / RUSSELL SMITH
