WEST Indies captain Rovman Powell said his team will need to find another gear in their second match of the International Cricket Council T20 World Cup, after a nervous win over Papua New Guinea (PNG) in their opening Group C match on June 2.
West Indies, chasing a modest 137 for victory at Providence Stadium in Guyana, lost wickets regularly and were shockingly reduced to 97/5 after 16 overs at one stage. However, Roston Chase and Andre Russell settled nerves with a 40-run unbroken partnership as West Indies won by five wickets.
"Yes, definitely (a tough game). Credit has be given to PNG," Powell said after the match. "I think their plans were simple and they played some good cricket. It's important to get two points, it's important to start well and that's what we did."
He said West Indies must improve as the tournament progresses. "I think we can be better in all three departments. We have seen this team play some very good cricket.
"Today, I would not say it was an off day, but we weren't quite up to the straps of the level we want to play. I think we are 60, 70 per cent there...Hopefully we can correct that for the second game."
West Indies will be in action again when they face Uganda at Providence on Saturday at 8.30 pm.
With West Indies needing 40 runs off 24 deliveries, Papua New Guinea would have been hoping to pull off an upset over the two-time World Cup winners.
Chase, with a strong showing in last month's three-match series against South Africa, had other ideas and struck a composed unbeaten 42 off 27 balls.
Three boundaries in the 18th over by Chase off Papua New Guinea skipper Assad Vala helped get the chase back on track. The Barbadian hit two fours and one six and by the end of the 18th over, the equation was simply 13 runs needed off 12 balls.
West Indies made the win look comfortable in the end, getting to 137/5 in 19 overs. Russell was 15 not out off 14 deliveries. Vala, despite conceding 18 runs in the 18th over, was the best bowler for Papua New Guinea with 2/28 in four overs.
The West Indies innings got off to the worst possible start as Johnson Charles was given out leg before for "duck" in the first ball of the second over. It could have been two wickets down early on, but Papua New Guinea chose not to review a leg-before decision which would have sent Nicholas Pooran back to the pavilion for zero.
Rain interrupted play for 20 minutes with West Indies 8/1 after 1.4 overs.
When play resumed, opener Brandon King played aggressively racing to 24 off 13 balls with all his runs coming in fours. At the other end, Pooran did not look himself as he took 16 balls to get his first boundary.
Pooran came into the World Cup in scintillating form, cracking 499 runs in the 2024 Indian Premier League for Lucknow Super Giants at an average of over 60. In the sixth over, Pooran struck Sese Bau for three consecutive boundaries as West Indies went past 50.
However, a couple tight overs followed and Pooran, attempting to increase the scoring rate, was caught at long on by Tony Ura to give spinner John Kariko the wicket. Pooran's 27 off 27 balls included one four and two sixes.
As the pressure built, King was caught at deep mid-wicket for 34 off 29 balls (with seven four), attempting to clear the boundary. He did not execute the shot properly as one hand came off the bat.
Windies skipper Rovman Powell (15) and Sherfane Rutherford (two) both fell cheaply as Papua New Guinea began liking their chances, before Chase and Russell settled the Windies.
Papua New Guinea got off to a shaky start batting first, quickly being reduced to 7/2.
Vala and Bau then mounted a response. In the fourth over, Bau broke the shackles with a straight four off Russell.
Vala joined the party as he welcomed off-spinner Chase into the attack with a six over the cover boundary. It was an expensive first over for Chase as he conceded 11 runs.
Vala continued to play confidently, hitting fast bowler Alzarri Joseph for two fours in the sixth over. However, Joseph had the last laugh as Vala was brilliantly caught by Chase fielding at backward point for 21, diving to his left. West Indies were again in the driver's seat with Papua New Guinea now reduced to 34/3 at the end of the six-over power play.
Hiri Hiri's stay at the crease was brief, as attempting a reverse sweep, he picked out Powell at first slip to give left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie the wicket.
At the halfway stage of their innings, Papua New Guinea were wobbling on 57/4. In the 13th over, Bau struck Motie for three boundaries. On one occasion he chipped down the wicket and cleared the mid-wicket fence.
Right after bringing up his 50, Bau was bowled smartly by a slower ball from Joseph for 50 off 43 deliveries (six fours, one six) to leave Papua New Guinea 98/6 in the 17th over. Kiplin Doriga gave the innings some impetus at the end with an unbeaten 27 off 18 balls.
Bowling for West Indies, fast bowlers Russell and Joseph bagged two wickets each. Russell picked up 2/19 in three overs and Joseph took 2/34 in four overs.
Summarised Scores: PAPUA NEW GUINEA 136/8 (20 overs) (Sese Bau 50, Kiplin Doriga 27; Andre Russell 2/19, Alzarri Joseph 2/34) vs WEST INDIES 137/5 (19 overs) (Roston Chase 42 not out, Brandon King 34; Assad Vala 2/28). West Indies won by five wickets.
