🏏 The T20 World Cup kicked off with a bang as the West Indies scraped a nervy five-wicket win over Papua New Guinea (PNG) on Sunday. Playing on home turf in the Caribbean, the excitement was palpable!
Just a day earlier, co-hosts USA celebrated a seven-wicket triumph over Canada in Grand Prairie, Texas, setting the tone for an electrifying tournament.
PNG's spinners put up a stellar fight, restraining the West Indies' powerhouse hitters. But the hosts held their nerve, chasing down a target of 137-5 with an over to spare. Talk about cutting it close! 😅
Sese Bau became only the second PNG batter to score a half-century at a T20 World Cup. His impressive 50-run knock lifted PNG to 136-8 from 20 overs after West Indies captain Rovman Powell won the toss and elected to field on a spin-friendly wicket.
\"Credit has to be given to PNG, their plans were simple and they played good cricket,\" Powell acknowledged.
PNG didn't make it easy. They had the West Indies sweating at 97-5 after 16 overs. But Roston Chase stepped up, making an unbeaten 42 off 27 balls to carry the team home. Clutch performance! 🔥
This thrilling start has fans buzzing for what's next in the tournament. Stay tuned for more cricket action! 🌟
Reference(s):
West Indies open cricket's T20 World Cup with over Papua New Guinea
cgtn.com
