Kolkata, Feb 7: Shimron Hetmyer struck a counter-attacking fifty before Romario Shepherd unleashed a stunning five-wicket burst including a hat-trick as two-time champions West Indies began their T20 World Cup campaign with a comfortable 35-run win over Scotland in their group C fixture here on Saturday.
Back at the venue where they had lifted their second T20 World Cup title a decade ago, West Indies were made to work early before Hetmyer’s 36-ball 64 (6×6, 2×4) lifted them to a competitive 182/5.
In reply, Guyanese pacer Shepherd blew away the lower order with a sensational spell of 5/20 to bowl out Scotland for 147 in 18.5 overs.
Shepherd finished the game in dramatic fashion as he ripped through the tail with four wickets in five deliveries — including Matthew Cross, Michael Leask and Oliver Davidson off successive balls — to complete his second T20I hat-trick in four months.
He later added Safyaan Sharif to register his maiden five-wicket haul, returning with outstanding figures of 5/20 in three overs. He had also taken a hat-trick against Bangladesh in October.
For West Indies, who had a difficult build up including a shock series loss to Nepal, it was redemption of sorts, having endured a shock loss to Scotland in the 2022-23 edition.
“It was just good to see the guys came back in the middle overs and showed what the power that we possess. And again with the ball, just putting it hard this time around and getting it right,” West Indies skipper Shai Hope said at the post-match presentation.
Scotland, who learnt about their participation barely two weeks before the tournament after Bangladesh’s withdrawal, showed discipline with the ball but their lack of preparation reflected in the chase.
Having trained indoors through winter full of one-foot snow back home, Scotland got their first proper outdoor sessions only during the warm-ups at Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru in India.
“It was just good to see the guys came back in the middle overs and showed what the power that we possess. And again with the ball, just putting it hard this time around and getting it right,” Scotland captain Richie Berrington said.
Berrington struck a brisk 42 off 24 balls (3×4, 2×6) and Tom Bruce made 35 from 28 balls (1×4, 2×6), but the boundaries dried up regularly and the asking rate kept climbing.
Jason Holder removed the skipper with a slower ball to break their 78-run stand and also became the first West Indian to complete 100 T20I wickets.
Hetmyer capped a fine outing with a full-length diving, one-handed catch at cover to dismiss opener George Munsey that lifted their tempo early on.
Earlier, Scotland justified their decision to bowl with a disciplined start.
Brandon King looked scratchy during his 35 off 30 balls, surviving a testing opening spell from Safyaan Sharif, while skipper Shai Hope (19) was cleaned up by Michael Leask’s (1/42) quicker delivery.
Debutant left-arm spinner Oliver Davidson (1/23 in three overs) then struck with his second ball to keep the Windies in check. For the Scot, Brad Currie was most successful bowler picking 2/23.
But Hetmyer turned the game on its head with clean, calculated power-hitting, smashing six sixes and two fours in a 36-ball 64.
West Indies were an uncharacteristic 33 for no loss in the power play, managing just four boundaries while eating up 17 dot balls, which is nearly three overs without scoring.
At the halfway mark they were only 66/2 as the Scotland spinners, led by seasoned Mark Watt (0/38), bowled brilliantly.
But after the 10-over mark, Hetmyer slog-swept the spinners, pulled anything short with disdain and even launched an audacious inside-out six over covers as the momentum swung dramatically.
West Indies plundered 72 runs between overs 11 and 15 to surge to 138 for 2, with Hetmyer doing most of the damage.
The Guyanese southpaw found an able ally in Rovman Powell (24 off 14) as the duo added a brisk 81 off just 37 balls to seize complete control of the middle overs. (PTI)
