Sese Bau made a fine half-century but two-time champions West Indies managed to limit Papua New Guinea to 136/8 in their ICC T20 World Cup 2024 opener on Sunday.
PNG, playing their second T20 World Cup, were reeling at 50 for four before Bau shared a 44-run stand with Charles Amini (12) to save them the blushes.
Expecting the pitch to turn, the West Indies picked three spinners and put the opposition in after winning the toss.
The help for the spinners was visible as early as the first over bowled by Akeal Hosein.
However, it was pacer Romario Shepherd who picked the first wicket by having Tony Ura caught behind in the second over of the game. The ball seamed away, inducing a thick edge from the batter.
Hosein got rid of number three Lega Siaka with an arm ball before Alzarri Joseph sent back PNG skipper Assad Vala (21 off 22 balls). Vala came up with a couple of crisp hits in the cover region before being caught brilliantly by Roston Chase at backward point.
Vala's six over extra cover off-spinner Chase in the previous over was one of the highlights of PNG's innings.
Bau then ensured that the odd boundary kept coming as PNG tried to consolidate their innings.
Bau, a leftie like Vala, smashed left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie for a six and couple of fours to give the innings much-needed momentum.
After his departure, the associate nation did rather well to get close to the 140-run mark.