WI vs PNG: West Indies defeat Papua New Guinea by 5 wickets

• Powell's side chases target in 19 overs during 6-wicket stand.
• Roston Chase steers side to a win with not out 27-ball 42.
• PNG skipper Assad Vala takes two wickets by giving away 28 runs.

West Indies started its T20 World Cup 2024 campaign with a win against Papua New Guinea by five wickets in a match played at Guyana's Providence stadium on Sunday.

Rovman Powell's side chased the target in 19 overs on the back of sixth-wicket stand between Roston Chase and Andre Russell.

West Indies had a jitter in the run chase as they lost five wickets for 97 runs and needed 40 off the last four overs.

Chase kept his nerves and steered his side to a win with not out 27-ball 42. Russell supported with nine-ball 15*.

At the top Brandon King scored 29-ball 34 while Nicholas Pooran made 27-ball 27. Skipper Assad Vala took two wickets for the PNG by giving away 28 runs.

Earlier, West Indies didn't allow PNG to settle early as they kept taking wickets at regular intervals and restricted them on 136-8 after opting to bowl first.

The only notable partnership PNG had was of Sese Bau and Charles Amini for the fifth wicket where they scored 44 runs which gave them some momentum.

Bau was the notable batter, scoring a brilliant 43-ball 50 with the help of a six and half a dozen fours.

Skipper Assad Vala made 22-ball 21 with the help of two fours and a six.

Kiplin Doriga (27*) chipped in with some vital runs at the backend to take the total to 136/8.

Andre Russell was the pick of the bowlers, bagging figures of 2.19 while Alzarri Joseph took 2/34.

Akeal Hosein, Romario Shepherd and Gudakesh Motie took a wicket apiece.

Playing XIs

West Indies: 1 Johnson Charles, 2 Brandon King, 3 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 4 Roston Chase, 5 Rovman Powell (capt), 6 Sherfane Rutherford, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Romario Shepherd, 9 Akeal Hosein, 10 Alzarri Joseph, 11 Gudakesh Motie

PNG: 1 Tony Ura, 2 Assad Vala (capt), 4 Sese Bau, 5 Hiri Hiri, 6 Charles Amini, 7 Kipling Doriga, 8 Alei Nao, 9 Chad Soper, 10 Kabua Morea, 11 John Kariko