West Indies opens its T20 World Cup with a nervy win
PROVIDENCE, Guyana (AP) — West Indies scrapped to a nervy five-wicket win before allrounder David Wiese helped Namibia edge Oman in a Super Over on Sunday as the first two Twenty20 World Cup games in the Caribbean produced low-scoring but tense contests.
Namibia’s Ruben Trumpelmann set a record in the dramatic Group B game in Barbados, becoming the first man to take wickets with the first two deliveries of a T20 cricket international.
The left-arm fast bowler took another wicket in his second over and returned a career-best 4-21, also taking the catch to finish the Oman innings at 109.
Namibia was on course for victory, needing five runs off the last six balls and Jan Fylinck unbeaten on 45, but Mehran Khan took two wickets and Oman narrowly missed a run-out chance that could have the game.
Namibia finished 109-6, with Wiese not out on 9.
The 39-year-old allrounder then went to work in the tiebreaker, striking a four and a six to help his team plunder 21 batting first in the Super Over.
Wiese, who took 3-28 in the regulation overs, then took a wicket and restricted Oman’s Super Over to 10-1 in a player-of-the- match performance.
“Aged a couple of years tonight — (and) I don’t have a lot of years left in me,” the 39-year-old Wiese said, laughing. “Emotionally draining evening.”
Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus said his batters needed to be more accountable in the momentum-shifting moments.
The tournament opened Saturday with co-host United States enjoying a seven-wicket win over Canada in Grand Prairie, Texas.
Papua New Guinea Sese Bau congratulates West Indies batsman Royston Chase after their ICC T20 World Cup cricket match at Guyana National Stadium, Providence, Guyana, Sunday, June 2, 2024. AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa
The West Indies lineup should have dominated after restricting PNG to 136-8 but the big hitters were restricted by the spin bowlers.
Sese Bau guided the visitors innings, with his 50 being only the second PNG batter to score a half century at a T20 World Cup.
“Credit has to be given to PNG, their plans were simple and they played good cricket,” West Indies skipper Rovman Powell said.
PNG didn’t allow West Indies to run away with the chase and had the hosts worried at 97-5 in 16 overs. Roston Chase made an unbeaten 42 off 27 balls and carried the team home.
“It was a competitive score but we believe we missed a trick towards the end,” PNG skipper Assad Vala said. “Another 10 to 15 runs would have been nice.”
New Zealand, Uganda and Afghanistan are the other teams in Group C. The top two teams in each of the four groups advance to the playoff stage.
The 20-nation tournament continues Monday with South Africa playing Sri Lanka in New York and Afghanistan against Uganda in Guyana.
“It was a tough one on a tough wicket like that,” he said, noting that the Super Over took all the pressure off. “We haven’t had one in a competition game. It was great to be part of. Winning a close game early breaks the duck and brings you into the tournament.”
Oman captain Aqib Ilyas agreed it was a draining, exciting game.
“Some days it is your day, some days it goes the opposite way,” he said.
West Indies had to wait until the last over in Guyana earlier Sunday to reach a victory target at 137-5 against Papua New Guinea.
