Roston Chase helps West Indies to five-wicket win over Papua New Guinea at T20 World Cup

In the opening Group C encounter of the T20 World Cup at the Guyana National Stadium on Sunday, the West Indies faced a tough challenge against minnows Papua New Guinea.

Despite struggling and stumbling throughout the match, the West Indies managed to secure a five-wicket victory with an over to spare.

Chasing a modest target of 137, the two-time former champions found themselves in trouble as the clever and disciplined PNG bowling attack caused them to slump to 97 for five with only four overs remaining.

However, it was the unbeaten knock of 42 off 27 balls by all-rounder Roston Chase that stole the spotlight from power-hitter Andre Russell (15 not out).

Their partnership of 40 runs for the sixth wicket came off just three overs and ultimately led their team to victory, reaching the target of 137 for five off 19 overs.

This win denied PNG one of the biggest shocks in the history of the T20 World Cup and international cricket.

Despite being in just their second appearance in a world tournament, having lost all three matches in their debut appearance at the 2021 T20 World Cup, they came close to causing a major upset against the West Indies.

"Given the challenging conditions we observed during PNG's batting innings, it was evident that it would be difficult for the incoming batsmen.

Therefore, I made a conscious decision to give myself some time to maximize my chances and rely on my skills to score runs once I settled in," stated Chase, who was awarded the title of "Man of the Match."

He not only bowled four overs of off-spin, conceding only 26 runs, but also took a remarkable catch at backward point to dismiss PNG captain Assad Vala.

Vala was the standout performer with the ball for the underdogs, taking two wickets for 28 runs in his four overs of spin.

This was after seamer Alei Nao made an impact at the beginning of the West Indies' chase by dismissing Johnson Charles with the very first ball.

Despite the impressive batting display by Brandon King (34) and Nicholas Pooran (27), the quick dismissals of both batsmen, followed by the departure of captain Rovman Powell, gave PNG hope of causing a major upset.

However, Chase, accompanied by Russell after the swift exit of Sherfane Rutherford, managed to restore the balance.

"We fell short by 10-15 runs of what would have been a more competitive target, but considering the early wickets we lost, it was still a commendable effort," reflected Vala on the narrow defeat.

"We are satisfied with the determination we showed in defending our total. This presents an opportunity for us, and we eagerly anticipate the challenge of playing our best cricket in future tournaments and against teams of this caliber."

Earlier, Sese Bau's aggressive half-century off 43 balls, including six fours and one six, was the only significant contribution from PNG as they reached a total of 136 for eight after being asked to bat first.

Wicketkeeper Kiplin Doriga (27 not out) and Vala (21) were the only other players to surpass 20 runs. West Indies' fast bowlers, Alzarri Joseph and Russell, led the bowling attack with two wickets each.

"Credit must be given to PNG for playing good cricket and sticking to their simple plans. However, it was crucial for us to secure the two points," expressed a relieved Powell.

It is essential for us to enhance our performance in all aspects of the game - batting, bowling, and fielding. Our performance today did not meet our own expectations, so we must strive to improve in order to succeed in future matches.