Given the difference in experience between the two sides, the result should have been a formaility. Papua New Guinea recently spent the best part of a decade playing regular 50-over cricket against the best associate sides. On the other hand, Guernsey have not played a 50 over international match against a team other than Jersey since 2017.

But sometimes in cricket, things don't go how you'd expect them to, and such was the case at the KGV ground in Guernsey this weekend as Papua New Guinea, on tour almost literally half a world away from home, were beaten heavily by their less fancied opponents in two one-day games.

These are warm-up games for PNG ahead of a World Cup Challenge League tournament that begins on Friday on Jersey, and as such were played as 13 a side games with 11 batting and 11 fielding.

The first game was a rout - batting first the visitors were bundled out for only 90 with Charlie Forshaw taking seven wickets for just 16 runs. Kipling Doriga's unbeaten 33 was their only score of note. The home side had little trouble chasing down their target, doing so in 23.1 overs to win by nine wickets, Josh Butler scoring an unbeaten 42.

Charlie Forshaw (Guernsey Cricket)

Guernsey batted first in today's second match and were bowled out for 274. Alex Bushell top scored with 91 from 69 balls and added 138 for the seventh wicket with Luke Bichard, who finished unbeaten on 69. Alei Nao was the pick of the bowlers for the visitors with 5-50.

Sese Bau top scored for PNG in their reply with 89 before he was bowled by Adam Martel, but only two other batters were able to reach double figures as Papua New Guinea were bowled out for 161, losing by 113 runs. Eight bowlers were used by Guernsey, with Martel the pick of the bunch with 4-23.

For Papua New Guinea, their preperation for the Challenge League tournament has not gone to plan, and it's a worrying sign that a team that has been up near the top of associate cricket in the 50-over format for over 40 years appears to be in terminal decline.

For Guernsey, the series perhaps sends a message to the powers that be that there are perhaps more teams that deserve an opportunity in the ODI World Cup pathway.