T20 WC
Scotland dream crushed at Eden! Hetmyer’s blitz, Shepherd’s hat-trick seal West Indies win
Kolkata/IBNS: Shimron Hetmyer’s late arrival in Kolkata due to a visa issue left no imprint on his performance as the Guyanese cricketer smashed a ruthless half-century and pulled off an athletic catch to power West Indies to a winning start in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
At the historic Eden Gardens — where West Indies lifted their second T20 World Cup trophy in 2016 — the two-time champions restricted Scotland to 147, winning the second match of the tournament by 35 runs, bouncing back strongly after a warm-up match upset against Afghanistan.
A late entrant into the marquee event following Bangladesh’s shock exit, Scotland fought hard in the chase, led by skipper Richie Berrington’s brisk 42 off 24 balls (3 fours, 2 sixes). However, a timely intervention by Jason Holder, who removed the dangerous Berrington, ensured there would be no upset on the opening day of the mega event.
After the Berrington scare was allayed, Romario Shepherd accelerated the Scottish collapse, picking up a sensational five-wicket haul, including a hat-trick, to seal the contest emphatically.
West Indies, now a shadow of their 1980s dominance, leaned on professionalism and experience to bowl out Scotland for 147, clinching a 35-run victory in front of just over 18,000 spectators at the iconic venue.
Earlier, after winning the toss, Scotland opted to bowl first and enjoyed early control through disciplined bowling. West Indies stumbled to 58/2 in 9.2 overs following Brandon King’s dismissal for 35 off 30 balls, before Hetmyer counterattacked in emphatic fashion to wrest momentum back.
The left-hander raced to his half-century off just 22 balls, lifting West Indies to 123/2 in 13.3 overs with a flurry of clean strikes. Hetmyer struck six sixes and two fours, anchoring the innings before falling on the final ball of the 19th over.
Attempting another maximum off Safyaan Sharif, Hetmyer was caught near the boundary by Brandon McMullen, finishing with a blistering 64 off 36 deliveries.
Scotland clawed back in the closing overs, with Brad Currie picking up two crucial wickets — Rovman Powell and Sherfane Rutherford — in the final five overs, restricting West Indies to 183 and preventing a late surge beyond the 190–200 mark.
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