The Cook Islands cricket men’s side’s ICC East Asia Pacific Sub Regional Qualifier A tournament campaign is back on track after a seven wicket win over Vanuatu in Apia, Samoa, yesterday.

The national side recorded a disappointing 104-run loss against Fiji on Monday after beating Vanuatu by nine wickets and Samoa by seven wickets in their first two matches.

In their first match of round two yesterday, Cook Islands faced Vanuatu and after winning the toss, decided to bowl.

Cook Islands bowler Oscar Taylor, who was named the player of the match, was brilliant, picking up five wickets in four overs with a loss of only 17 runs.

Liam Denny got two wickets and Jared Tutty and Andrew Samuels picked one each as Vanuatu finished 125 for 9.

Cook Islands started its chase with some big hits and despite losing their openers Hayden Dickson (16 runs) and Thomas Parima (35) as well as top order batsman Aue Parima (17), the team managed to reach the target in 16.2 overs.

Captain Ma’ara Ave scored a brilliant 44 runs not out from 32 balls to help the team reach the target.

Cook Islands team manager Rahul Patil said: “When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Cook Islands bounced back in fine fashion by defeating defending champions Vanuatu for a second time in the tournament.”

“The fielding effort was much better (yesterday), and the bowlers led by Oscar Taylor’s brilliant 5 wicket haul produced a magnificent performance. The batters then came to the party with skipper Ma’ara Ave top scoring with an unbeaten 44.”

Cook Islands will take on Samoa in a crucial clash tomorrow before finishing their campaign against Fiji on Friday (Cook Islands time).

Both teams have won three matches each and have six points apiece, but Samoa leads on a better net run rate.

The winner of this tournament will join the EAP Sub Regional B winner, four Asian Sub Regional Qualifiers, as well as Nepal, Oman and Papua New Guinea. Three of those nine teams will advance to the 2026 T20 World Cup to be held in India and Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile Samoa’s Darius Visser broke the Twenty20 record for most runs in an over on Monday.

The 28-year-old from Sydney wrote his way into the ICC record books when he belted 39 runs in one over against Vanuatu at Apia’s Garden Oval No.2.

It beat by three runs the previous record held by Indian Yuvraj Singh, who famously thrashed six sixes off Englishman Stuart Broad at Kingsmead in Durban on September 19, 2007.

The unfortunate bowler to relieve Broad of one of the world’s unwanted records is Nalin Nipiko.

Allrounder Visser is a former Penrith junior representative who went on to represent the University of Sydney and St George in Sydney grade cricket.

Visser began his junior days as a fast bowler and No 11 batsman but worked on his repertoire to eventually become a legspinner and middle-order bat.

Against Vanuatu, he struck 132 off 62 balls in an innings that included 14 sixes and five fours, and took 1-29 in the 10-run victory.

His mum Lima and dad Gerald were at the venue when he attained the record.

“We are all so proud of him,” said Lima Visser. “The entire family has been following his progress and is pretty excited.

• Additional reporting by AAP