The West Indies had a strong start after winning the toss and choosing to bowl first, successfully dismissing three Papua New Guinea (PNG) batters within the powerplay.
Despite this, Sese Bau’s determined innings of 50 runs off 43 balls helped PNG reach a total of 136/8 in their 20 overs. In reply, the West Indies faced an early setback when Johnson Charles was dismissed for a golden duck.
Nicholas Pooran also had a stroke of luck in the second over, bringing significant relief to the Caribbean side. On the fourth ball of the second over, Alei Nao bowled a precise inswinger to Pooran.
Pooran, attempting a forward defense, missed the ball, which struck his front pad between the off and middle stump. Despite the close call, Nao hesitated to appeal, and PNG skipper Assad Vala chose not to review the decision, allowing play to continue.
— Head Tarvis (@HTarvis93010) June 2, 2024
However, ball tracking later showed that the decision not to review was unfortunate, as the ball was pitching in line and would have hit the middle stump. This missed opportunity quickly sparked discussions on social media, with the Twitterverse reacting to PNG’s misfortune.
