T20 World Cup 2024: West Indies thrash PNG by five wickets after surviving big scare

West Indies Sunday thrashed Papua New Guinea by five wickets after chasing down 137 with 6 balls to spare in the 2nd T20I match of World Cup 2024 at the Providence Stadium in Georgetown, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

 Roston Chase scored 42 runs to help the Caribbean team past the finish line.

Chasing a target of 137 runs, West Indies suffered an early blow losing Johnson Charles quite early with not much on the board. Things could have been worse if PNG took a review as Nicholas Pooran was out LBW but got a reprieve.

However, Brandon King looked like he was batting on a different surface as he was only dealing in boundaries. The duo added 53 runs together with the hosts firmly in control of the game.

The momentum suddenly shifted with the wickets of both set batters in quick succession.

It became really hard for the middle order to score runs, and they kept losing wickets at regular intervals as well which didn't help their cause.

Roston Chase held one end, losing partners at the other, but didn't throw his wicket away and finally found support from Andre Russell. They changed gears at the right time with Dre Russ playing second fiddle while Chase smashed 42 off just 27 balls to take his side home.

Earlier,  put into bat first, PNG recovered from a disastrous start, courtesy of a fighting half-century from Sese Bau.

PNG were two down for just seven runs inside three overs as their opener Tony Ura (2) and Lega Siaka (1) perished cheaply.

Following the slump, Bau joined skipper Asad Vala at the crease and the duo batted sensibly in a bid to anchor the innings.

They added 27 runs for the third wicket before Vala perished on the final delivery of the powerplay after scoring 21 off 22 deliveries. He hit two fours and a six.

Bau then put together a brief one-sided partnership with Hiri Hiri (2) before receiving subtle support at the other end in the form of Charles Amini.

Bau and Amini recorded PNG’s most successful partnership which yielded 44 runs in 37 deliveries.

The fifth-wicket stand lasted with Amini’s dismissal on the final delivery of the 15th over, who scored 12 off 14.

Sese Bau, on the other hand, perished an over later, just after amassing his gritty half-century. He remained the top-scorer for PNG against West Indies with a 43-ball 50 which featured six fours and a six.

Following Bau’s dismissal, wicketkeeper batter Kiplin Doriga took the reigns of PNG’s batting charge and added valuable runs at the backend with his unbeaten cameo.

Doriga scored 27 not out off 18 deliveries with the help of three boundaries.

Andre Russell and Alzarri Joseph led the bowling attack for the West Indies with two wickets each while Akeal Hosein, Romario Shepherd and Gudakesh Motie chipped in a wicket apiece.