Unassuming all-rounder Roston Chase proved his worth as he helped West Indies evade an upset at the hands of minnows Papua New Guinea, guiding them to a five-wicket victory in their Group C opener of the Twenty20 World Cup in Guyana on Sunday.
In pursuit of a modest 137 on a slow track at the Guyana National Stadium, West Indies plunged to 97 for five at the end of the 16th over, leaving the result in the balance with 40 runs still required from the remaining 24 deliveries.
However, the level-headed Chase came to his side’s rescue with a polished unbeaten 42 off 27 balls, earning him Man-of-the-Match honours as West Indies got over the line with an over to spare to make a winning start in their bid for a third title. Entering at number four, the 32-year-old soaked up the pressure of watching wickets tumble around him, before lashing four fours and two sixes to dominate the back end of the chase.
He put on 22 for the fourth wicket with captain Rovman Powell (15) before out-shining the big-hitting Andre Russell (15 not out) in an all-important 40-run, unbroken sixth-wicket stand.
Very pleased
“I’m very pleased. Obviously, to start the tournament with a win is always good. I had to take it home for the team, and I did it,” Chase said afterward. “I obviously knew from our first innings bowling it was always hard for batsmen coming in to start, so I just gave myself the best chance possible, [gave] myself some time, and [backed] my skills that when I get in I’d be able to get away the ball.”
He was supported by in-form opener Brandon King, who made 34 from 29 balls, and left-hander Nicholas Pooran, who struck a run-a-ball 27.
Russell (2-19) and fast bowler Alzarri Joseph (2-34) had earlier claimed two wickets apiece to help limit Papua New Guinea to 136 for eight from their 20 overs. Sent in, the southwestern Pacific nation was carried by Sese Bau’s top score of 50 off 43 balls while wicketkeeper Kiplin Doriga chipped in with an unbeaten 27 off 18 balls and captain Assad Vala, 21 from 22 deliveries.
West Indies dictated the early phase of the game when they reduced Papua New Guinea to seven for two in the third over, fast bowler Romario Shepherd getting Tony Ura (2) to nick behind in the second over and left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein going through Lega Siaka’s (1) defense with a sharp arm ball.
Set back early
Vala struck two fours and a six to inspire a 27-run third-wicket stand with Bau, but he was one of two wickets to fall to leave Papua New Guinea on 50 for four in the ninth over. Bau then took responsibility for the innings, punching half-a-dozen fours and a six as he put on 44 for the fifth wicket with Charles Amini (12), to revive his side’s fortunes. Doriga provided the late flourish, lashing three fours in his knock to lift Papua New Guinea to their eventual total.
West Indies were then set back early when Johnson Charles played around a full-length delivery from seamer Alei Nao and was lbw for a first-ball ‘duck’ in the second over with eight runs on the board. The home side could have been in further trouble when Pooran was struck plumb in front three balls later before he had scored, but the visitors opted against the review after the appeal was turned down. Instead, Pooran, whose first 15 deliveries yielded only five runs, counter-attacked with a four and two sixes, in an attempt to jumpstart the innings in a 53-run, second-wicket stand with King who counted seven fours.
But he holed out to long on at the start of the ninth over from economical 20-year-old left-arm spinner John Kariko and when off-spinner Vala induced King to sky to mid-wicket in the following over, West Indies were stuttering on 63 for three.
Powell never settled either and eventually feathered a catch behind off-seamer Chad Soper to leave the game on its head. Chase never blinked though, timing his late assault to perfection as he plundered 18 runs from the 18th over sent down by left-arm pacer Kabua Morea, before taking a couple of boundaries from the penultimate over to erase any doubt over the result.
