Shimron Hetmyer came and he conquered as he played a blinder of a knock to push West Indies ahead in the contest. After getting a sedate start, Shimron Hetmyer completely changed the game and with good support from the other end, West Indies posted 182 on the board. Scotland bowled well as Bradley Currie picked up 2 wickets and the others chipped in. Scotland has to bat out of their skins to win this contest one feels.
West Indies makes a sedate start despite not losing a wicket in the powerplay
Put into bat first, Brandon King and captain keeper batter Shai Hope came out to open for West Indies while Brandon McMullen had ball in hand for Scotland. King started on the front foot as he pressed forward and drove the bowler through the covers for a boundary. Bradley Currie had ball in hand from the other end. Hope showed deft touch as he played it late and opened the bat face to the boundary at third man.
Mark Watt came into the attack next. Hope clattered it away by thrashing off the back foot through covers for a boundary. Currie continued as King looked to flick it to midwicket and got a leading edge to deep third fence. Safyaan Sharif came into the attack next. Sharif bowled a very good first over. Mark Watt came back to bowl the final over of powerplay and kept things tight.
West Indies were 33/0 in 6 overs of powerplay with King and Hope both on 16 each. Drinks was taken at this stage.
Scotland’s spinners strike twice but Shimron Hetmyer’s quickfire fifty drove the West Indies forward in middle phase of the game
Safyaan Sharif continued after the break as King switched gears as he charged the bowler by shuffling across to the leg side and lofted the ball straight over the bowler’s head for the maximum. King then drove the bowler past mid-off for a boundary. King again slashed it away past the diving fielder for a boundary at backward point. The 50 came up and of the partnership for West Indies in 7 overs.
Oliver Davidson came into the attack next. He bowled a decent first over. Michael Leask came into the attack as well and he struck the first blood for Scotland as he removed Hope for 19 off 22 balls with 2 fours to his name. Hope got hit on the pads as the ball trickled back onto the stumps. Shimron Hetmyer came out to bat next and survived a scare as the miscue landed in no man’s land off Leask.
Davidson continued and then removed King for 35 off 30 balls with 4 fours and one six to his name as the short and wide ball was slashed away to the backward point fielder. George Munsey picked the catch on the rebound. Rovman Powell came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. Hetmyer then took on Davidson as he went straight over long-off for the maximum. West Indies were 66/2 in 10 overs at the halfway stage of the innings.
Leask continued as Hetmyer heaved it away to the left of long-on for the maximum. Powell then came down the track and launched it high over wide long-on for the maximum as he joined the party as well. Mark Watt returned as Hetmyer took him on by clearing his front leg and flicked it over deep square leg for the maximum. Hetmyer went big again as he went down on one knee and swept it over deep backward square for the maximum.
Sharif came back into the attack as Hetmyer went big again by pulling it over deep backward square leg for the maximum as the 100 came up in 12.2 overs. Hetmyer was not done yet as he got his bat down at an angle and drove it to the right of extra cover as the ball went away to the fence. The partnership crossed 50 runs between the duo. Powell joined in as well as he made room on the leg side and drilled through the covers for a boundary.
Davidson continued as Hetmyer reached his fifty off 22 balls in style with a maximum as he went inside out over deep cover point. West Indies were 126/2 in 14 overs when Drinks was taken on the field for the second time. Leask continued after the break as Powell went bang as he whacked it over deep square leg for the maximum over the ropes. West Indies were 138/2 in 15 overs with Hetmyer unbeaten on 53 off 26 balls while Rovman Powell was with him on 24* off 12 balls.
Late Innings Flourish takes West Indies to 182/5 in 20 overs
Bradley Currie came back into the attack and he removed Rovman Powell for 24 off 14 balls with one four and two sixes to his name as he pulled it to Michael Jones at deep backward square leg. Sherfane Rutherford came out to bat next. He got off the mark soon. Leask continued as Hetmyer continued his merry ways by pulling it hard to the left of long-on for a boundary. Rutherford got into the act as he cut it hard between backward point and short third man for a boundary. The 150 came up for West Indies in 16.5 overs. Rutherford made room on the leg side and lofted it over extra cover for a boundary.
Mark Watt came to bowl the next over as Rutherford rocked back and cut it behind square on the off-side for a boundary. Scotland burnt a review against Rutherford in desperation. Rutherford took on Watt again and launched it hard over extra covers for the maximum. Sharif came to bowl the 19th over as Rutherford opened the bat face and guided it to deep backward point for a boundary. Hetmyer then fell to Sharif for 64 off 36 balls with 2 fours and 6 sixes to his name as he was holed out to a brilliant catch in the deep by Brandon McMullen off a full toss.
Romario Shepherd came out to bat next. Bradley Currie came to bowl the final over of the innings and he removed Rutherford for 26 off 13 balls with 4 fours and one six to his name as the ball went to the deep extra cover fielder. Matthew Forde came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. Shepherd then took on Currie and launched it over the bowler’s head for the maximum as West Indies got past 180 runs.
West Indies finished with 182/5 in 20 overs with Shepherd unbeaten on 6 off 3 balls with one six to his name while Forde remained unbeaten on 1 off 2 balls. 7 extras given by the fielding side. Scotland bowlers had a mixed day in the field with Bradley Currie finishing with 2/23 in 4 overs. Oliver Davidson finished with 1/23 in 3 overs. Michael Leask finished with 1/42 in 4 overs. Safyaan Sharif finished with 1/46 in 4 overs. Mark Watt went wicketless in his 0/38 in 4 overs. Brandon McMullen bowled an over for 7 runs. So, Scotland will now need 183 runs to win off 20 overs.
Who’s Winning, West Indies or Scotland?Â
West Indies have got run on the board as 180 is a good score in Kolkata. The pitch is flat and so Scotland can win but have to bat well. West Indies bowling can go for runs. This match is nicely placed but with runs on the board, West Indies will fancy their chances of winning this one. Let’s see how the second innings will shape up from here.
An interesting chase awaits us under lights.
Also Read:Â ICC T20 WC 2026: Scotland Spinners Strike Twice To Peg West Indies Back In Middle Phase