Hetmyer Fifty and Shepherd Five-For Power West Indies Past Scotland

Shimron Hetmyer’s explosive half-century and a devastating five-wicket haul from Romario Shepherd steered West Indies to a commanding 35-run victory over Scotland in their opening match of the T20 World Cup, overcoming a slow surface and a sluggish start.

West Indies posted 182 for 5 after being put under early pressure by Scotland’s spinners, before bowling the opposition out for 147. Hetmyer top-scored with a blistering 64, while Shepherd’s 5 for 20 — including a hat-trick — sealed the contest emphatically.

Head coach Darren Sammy’s decision to promote Hetmyer to No. 3 once again proved decisive. After scores of 75 and 48 not out against South Africa in the lead-up to the tournament, Hetmyer delivered on the biggest stage, rescuing West Indies from a difficult position.

Scotland’s spinners strangled the scoring early, restricting West Indies to just 33 runs in the powerplay. At 58 for 2 in the 10th over, the innings threatened to stall completely. Hetmyer, however, countered the slow pitch with power and precision, smashing 64 from 36 balls, with 44 of his runs coming in boundaries, to lift his side to a competitive total of 182.

Rovman Powell provided valuable support with 24, sharing a rapid 81-run stand for the third wicket with Hetmyer off just 37 balls. Sherfane Rutherford added 26, while Brad Currie’s disciplined death bowling, which returned figures of 2 for 23, prevented the total from climbing even higher.

Hetmyer then made an impact in the field, taking a brilliant catch to reduce Scotland to 37 for 3 during the chase. Jason Holder struck early to remove Michael Jones, and Shamar Joseph accounted for George Munsey, before Romario Shepherd took centre stage.

Scotland briefly revived their innings through a 78-run partnership for the fourth wicket between captain Richie Berrington and Tom Bruce, both late inclusions to the World Cup squad. Once that stand was broken, Shepherd ripped through the lower order, claiming four wickets in five balls in the 17th over to complete a stunning hat-trick and finish with career-best figures.

Despite Berrington’s 42 and Bruce’s 35, Scotland were never able to keep up with the asking rate and were dismissed for 147, handing West Indies a comfortable win to begin their campaign.

Hetmyer’s innings was remarkable not only for its impact but also its context. He had arrived in India just days earlier after a visa delay, yet wasted no time imposing himself, launching six sixes in total and racing to his half-century off just 22 balls — the fastest by a West Indian at a T20 World Cup.

With both bat and ball delivering decisively, West Indies launched their tournament in style, combining power-hitting, athletic fielding and incisive bowling to underline their credentials in the competition.