Evin Lewis blasted nine sixes and the West Indies to a 16-run victory to complete a 4-1 T20I series triumph over Australia in St Lucia on Friday.
Batting at the top of the order, Lewis smashed 79 from 34 balls, including four fours and nine sixes to get the West Indies off to a flying start after captain Nicholas Pooran won the toss.
Lewis fell at 124-3 at the end of the 11th over, before Andrew Tye took three late wickets while Mitch Marsh impressed again with 12-2.
Pooran (31 from 18) and Chris Gayle (21 from seven) contributed as the West Indies amassed an imposing 199-8, although Australia started brightly in reply led by Marsh.
Marsh came to the crease after opener Josh Philippe fell for one, hitting five fours and one six, before falling off Andre Russell's first ball for 30 from 15 deliveries.
A visibly limping Aaron Finch was spectacularly caught by Fabian Allen with a diving left-hand effort for 34 from 23 off the impressive Hayden Walsh who took the most wickets in the series.
Wickets continued to fall with regularity as Andre Russell finished with a personal T20I best 43-3.
LEWIS PUSHES WORLD CUP CASE
Lewis was dropped after a duck in the opening T20I, before returning with 31 in Wednesday's dead rubber.
But the 29-year-old Trinidadian showcased his ability with a stunning knock on Friday setting the tone for the hosts.
The left-hander is one of the West Indies' players vying for a spot in their final T20 World Cup squad and did his hopes no harm, in a side missing several key players including Kieron Pollard.
Lewis said post-game: "I basically stayed still and watched the ball on to the bat. It's always good to score runs and contribute to the team to get the victory."
The Trinidadian's only two T20I centuries both came in 2017. He added: "I've been working hard from 2017 to now. Obviously, I want to keep scoring runs and cashing in at all times."
MARSH PROVES SHINING LIGHT
Australia lost the series 4-1 with Marsh their shining light from the five-game T20I series, producing another display of his quality in the shortest format on Friday.
Marsh took 12-2 from two overs and crunched 30 from 15, finishing the series with 219 runs at 43.8 with a strike rate above 150.
The big all-rounder also hit 10 sixes throughout the series, double the next best Australian, while he also hit a team-high 20 fours.
Marsh also chipped with the ball, taking a team-high eight wickets, including 24-3.
Finch said: "I think Mitch Marsh stood out with his first opportunity at number three consistently and the role that he did with the ball."
Powell says West Indies only '60 to 70 per cent there' after World Cup opener
West Indies only played at 60 to 70 per cent of their capabilities as they survived a scare to beat Papua New Guinea in their T20 World Cup opener, admits captain Rovman Powell.
The Windies followed the United States' lead in making a winning start on home soil on Sunday, though they were pushed close in a five-wicket win over the team ranked 20th in the world.
The co-hosts collapsed from 61-1 to 97-5 and needed 37 runs from their final 19 balls to reach their target of 137, but Andre Russell and Roston Chase combined to get them over the line.
They take on Uganda in their second match next Sunday before rounding off their Group C campaign against New Zealand and Afghanistan.
Powell knows they have work to do despite their victory, saying in his post-match interview: "Papua New Guinea's plans were simple, and they played some really good cricket. It is important to get two points in this tournament.
"Roston bowled pretty well, and to come out under pressure, with the way he played, it was what we needed.
"We are 60 to 70 per cent there. We can be better in all three departments. Hopefully, we can correct that for the second game."
Chase was named Player of the Match after hitting an unbeaten 42 off 27 deliveries, and he insists Windies did not take Papua New Guinea lightly.
"They're not an A-List team but we don't want to take any team lightly in the World Cup. We came out with the mentality that we were playing Australia or India," he said.
"We started slowly but we had a chat at the halfway stage and the guys just wanted to rally and put our best foot forward."
Rovman Powell admits West Indies need improvement despite narrow win over Papua New Guinea
West Indies captain Rovman Powell acknowledged that his team has areas to improve following a less than convincing victory over Papua New Guinea (PNG) in their 2024 ICC T20 World Cup opener on Sunday. The match, held at Providence Stadium, saw the West Indies narrowly reach their target, scoring 137-5 with six balls to spare after restricting PNG to 136-8.
The win was largely due to a mature 42 from 27 deliveries by Player of the Match Roston Chase, along with notable contributions of 33 from Brandon King and 27 from Nicholas Pooran.
Powell was candid about his team's performance, giving credit to PNG for their strong showing. "Credit has to be given to PNG. I think their plans were simple and they played good cricket. I think PNG's score of 136 for 8 was a little, 10 or 15, too much. And as a bowling group, that's something we need to work on. They played smartly," he said.
He also praised Chase for his all-round contribution. "That was very good. Started from a bowling effort, I think he bowled pretty well. And coming at the end, when we were under pressure, coming there with composure, and to come out with a winning innings was great for us. I think we can be better in all three departments," Powell noted.
Chase, who was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 42, expressed satisfaction with his performance and the team's victory. "I'm very pleased. To start the tournament with a win is always good. I had to take it home for the team, and I did it," he said.
Reflecting on his strategy during the match, Chase said, "I knew from our first innings bowling, it was always hard for batsmen coming in to start. I gave myself time, backed myself. I've been putting in a lot of hard work so I just backed my preparation."
Chase also acknowledged the efforts of Papua New Guinea. "They're not an A-list team, but we don't want to take any team lightly in the World Cup. We came out with the mentality that we were playing Australia or India. We started slowly but we had a chat at the halfway stage and the guys just wanted to rally and put the best foot forward."
The West Indies will look to address the issues highlighted by their captain as they prepare for their next match. Powell's candid reflection on the team's performance indicates a commitment to improvement, with hopes of delivering a stronger showing in the upcoming games.
Despite the less than flawless victory, starting the tournament with a win provides a solid foundation for the West Indies. With key players like Chase demonstrating resilience and maturity, the team aims to build on this performance and strive for excellence as they progress through the World Cup.
West Indies make winning start at T20 World Cup after Papua New Guinea scare
West Indies joined the United States in making a winning start to their home T20 World Cup campaign with a five-wicket victory over Papua New Guinea, though Andre Russell had to get them over the line after a major scare.
The two-time world champions made a terrific start after putting their opponents in to bat in Guyana as Romario Shepherd and Akeal Hosein accounted for Tony Ura and Lega Siaka within three overs.
However, Sese Bao steadied the ship for Papua New Guinea, smashing 50 runs off 48 deliveries including six fours and one maximum before Alzarri Joseph struck him middle and leg 17 overs in.
Kiplin Doriga was 27 not out as the visitors finished 136-8, and the Windies initially looked to be making smooth progress towards that target as Nicholas Pooran put on a 53-run partnership with Brandon King.
Papua New Guinea skipper Assad Vala then came up with two dismissals as the hosts collapsed from 61-1 to 97-5, nerves being frayed as they required 37 off 19 balls to win.
However, star man Russell (15 off nine) supported Roston Chase (42 not out) as they got over the line with six deliveries to spare, avoiding a shock defeat in their Group C opener.
Data Debrief: Windies stop the rot… just
West Indies entered their home opener looking to improve on miserable performances at the last two T20 World Cups, having lost six of their last eight games at the tournament.
Russell ultimately came up with the goods both with ball (2-19) and bat as they got the job done, but more will be required when they face New Zealand and Afghanistan later in the pool.
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