Holder hits 99 n.o. as Windies survive PNG scare

HARARE, Zimbabwe (CMC):

Skipper Jason Holder agonisingly missed out on a maiden one-day hundred but helped to spare West Indies blushes as they turned back a plucky Papua New Guinea (PNG) by six wickets to post their second win of the ICC World Cup Qualifiers here yesterday.

Chasing an uncomplicated 201 for victory, the Caribbean side slumped to 58 for four in the 12th over before the right-handed Holder arrived to stroke a classy career-best unbeaten 99 and take his side over the line off 43 overs.

Importantly, he added 143 in an unbroken fifth-wicket stand with the stylish Shai Hope, who ended unbeaten on 49.

All told, Holder faced 101 deliveries and crunched nine fours and four sixes while Hope counted three fours in a 115-ball innings.

Medium pacer Carlos Brathwaite had earlier secured his first five-wicket haul in ODIs, with five for 27, to restrict Papua New Guinea to 200 all out off 42.4 overs at Old Hararians.

Captain Assad Vala top-scored with 57, Tony Ura weighed in with 37, and Mahuru Dai and Norman Vanua got 35 apiece as Papua New Guinea battled back from 82 for four to get up to a respectable total.

Finding themselves in a must-win situation after losing their first two matches, PNG got off to the worst possible start when they lost Vani Morea without scoring to the third ball of the match, run out by Holder off his own bowling.

However, Vala and opener Ura repaired the innings in a second-wicket stand worth 62 as PNG rallied.

The 30-year-old Vala struck six fours in an 89-ball knock while Ura, fresh from a superb 150 against Ireland, belted a couple of fours and sixes in a lively 45-ball innings.

Any hopes the Windies had of an easy run chase were quickly erased when Evin Lewis (9) fell in the second over, run out by a direct hit from third man while attempting a third run.

In the next over, his partner, Shimron Hetmyer, departed for six, edging a catch behind off seamer Norman Vanua to leave the Windies struggling on 16 for two.

Veteran Marlon Samuels dominated briefly, lashing three fours and a six in a 21-ball 24 as he posted a brisk 37 for the third wicket with Hope.

But his enterprise cost him in the 11th over when he slashed pacer Alei Nao to a widish solitary slip, where Vala pouched a sharp chance.

SCOREBOARD

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

T. Ura c Mohammed b Nurse 37

V. Morea run out 0

*A. Vala c wkp Hope b Brathwaite 57

L. Siaka c Holder b Brathwaite 0

S. Bau b Brathwaite 9

M. Dai lbw b Miller 35

C. Amini c Holder b Miller 7

+J. Vare c Nurse b Brathwaite 1

Chad Soper c wkp Hope b Brathwaite 1

N. Vanua c Powell b Williams 35

Alei Nao not out 1

Extras (lb7, nb2, w8) 17

Total: (all out, 42.4 overs) 200

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-63, 3-63, 4-82, 5-151, 6-159, 7-161, 8-162, 9-163, 10-200.

Bowling: Holder 8-0-47-0, Williams 7.4-0-44-1, Nurse 6-0-31-1, Brathwaite 10-2-27-5, Samuels 5-0-19-0, Miller 6-0-25-2.

WEST INDIES

E. Lewis run out 8

S. Hetmyer c Vala b Vanua 8

+S. Hope not out 49

M. Samuels c Vala b Nao 24

J. Mohammed lbw b Amini 0

*J. Holder not out 99

Extras: (lb5, w8) 13

Total: (4 wkts, 43 overs) 201

Did not bat: R Powell, C Brathwaite, A Nurse, N Miller, K Williams.

Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-16, 3-53, 4-58.

Bowling: Vanua 10-0-36-1, Dai 6-0-32-0, Nao 6-1-16-1, Amini 10-0-51-1, Soper 6-1-40-0, Vala 2-0-6-0, Siaka 3-0-15-0.

Result: West Indies won by six wickets.

Points: West Indies 2, PNG 0.

Man-of-the-Match: Jason Holder.

Toss: PNG.

Umpires: Sharfuddoula Saikat, S George.