Image Credit- AP
A Nervy West Indies overcame a spirited Papua New Guinea effort to claim victory by 5 wickets and open their account in the opening clash of Group C in the T20 World Cup.
Roston Chase’s innings was the difference in a tricky chase that saw the 2-time T20 World Champions stutter through before eventually achieving the target with 6 balls to spare, thus claiming the 2 points and making a winning start to their home World Cup campaign.
After winning the toss and putting PNG to bat first on a wicket that was two-faced right from the beginning, West Indies, who were playing their first game in the group stages of an ICC event after 3 years, made a storming start with the ball. Romario Shepherd got opener Tony Ura with one that swung away from the right-hander, taking his outside edge. From the other end, Akeal Hosein bowled to his field, and after conceding only a solitary run in his first over, cleaned up Lega Siaka with his first ball of the second over.
PNG skipper Assad Wala was beginning to find his feet after a six and two fours, but even he was dismissed on the final ball of the powerplay courtesy of a brilliant catch by Chase at backward point on the last ball of the powerplay leaving them reeling at 34/3 after 6 overs.
Sese Bau eventually assumed the mantle of anchor in the PNG innings and went on to rebild the innings. Following a few overs of stabilisation, Bau lost to Motie, hitting the spinner for four and six off successive deliveries that went down the ground and over wide long-on. He then added another boundary through the covers to raise PNG’s run rate to one run per ball. He nearly reached his half-century mark with a top-edged four off Joseph, but Amini nipped behind Russell to deny him the opportunity.
PNG managed to add 38 in the last 20-odd balls of their innings courtesy a few lusty blows from Doriga and a sloppy Windies bowling effort at the death.
Having 138 to chase, the hosts got off to the worst possible start, with Johnson Charles being dismissed by Alei Nao off the very first ball. He could have had another after he rapped Pooran on the pads, but PNG opted against the review. Replays showed that it would go on to hit the stumps.
The West Indies were only able to gain momentum because Brandon King consistently hit boundaries, as seen by his seven fours in his first 28 runs, while Pooran was having trouble keeping time.
As West Indies stormed to finish the powerplay on 52 for 1, apparently well positioned, Pooran, on 5 from 15 balls, then smashed Bau’s offspin for 6-4-6 at the beginning of the sixth over.
When the ninth was underway, Pooran chipped John Kariko to long-on, becoming the second wicket to fall despite never quite settling in. Then Vala came on to spin it from both ends, and King’s attempt to unshackle himself ended up in deep midwicket’s hands. West Indian nerves started to fray again as Vala bowled the second wicket-maiden of the innings, and by the end of the 13th over, they were 77 for 3, having amassed 25 runs from 42 balls outside the powerplay.
Despite boldly reviewing after being given out caught behind, Rovman Powell was removed in the same over despite hitting a much-needed boundary off Chad Soper. With his maiden boundary coming from his fifteenth ball, Chase popped above the parapet to slog-sweep Charles Amini for six. However, in the next over, Vala had Rutherford caught behind, with Doriga clutching the ball between his legs, gloves, and torso, leaving West Indies 97 for 5.
After he had steadied the batting as wickets were falling all around him, Chase then accelerated through the gears. The No. 4 player for the West Indies, who is favoured above Shimron Hetmyer in the lineup, took two fours and a six from Vala in the eighteenth over, and then he dismissed Kabua Morea for back-to-back boundaries to seal the win for his team.