The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 served up a one-sided affair in its second match. West Indies crushed Scotland by 35 runs in a Group C clash at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on February 7.
Shimron Hetmyer was the star of the show, smashing 64 off 36 balls to help West Indies post a massive 182/5. Scotland tried hard but fell short at 147, bowled out in 18.5 overs. Romario Shepherd ripped through the lower order with a hat-trick, finishing with 5 wickets for just 20 runs.
For Scotland, Richie Berrington top-scored with 42 off 24 balls, and Tom Bruce added 35 off 28. But once these two fell, the Scottish batting crumbled. Jason Holder chipped in with 3/30, and the West Indian bowling attack proved too strong for Scotland to handle.
Match Summary: SCO vs WI
Here is the complete match summary of this Group C encounter:
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| West Indies Score | 182/5 (20 overs) |
| Scotland Score | 147 all out (18.5 overs) |
| Match Result | West Indies won by 35 runs |
| Best Batting (WI) | Shimron Hetmyer – 64 off 36 balls (2 fours, 6 sixes) |
| Best Batting (SCO) | Richie Berrington – 42 off 24 balls (3 fours, 2 sixes) |
| Best Bowling (WI) | Romario Shepherd – 5/20 in 3 overs (Econ: 6.66) |
| Best Bowling (SCO) | Brad Currie – 2/23 in 4 overs (Econ: 5.75) |
| Player of the Match | Shimron Hetmyer (WI) |
| CricInfo’s MVP | Shimron Hetmyer – 84.91 pts |
Scotland won the toss in this Day/Night fixture, but it was West Indies who took control from the very start. Brandon King and Shai Hope gave the team a solid foundation in the powerplay, and Hetmyer took over after that, launching six sixes in a blistering knock. Scotland’s chase never really got going, as West Indian bowlers kept picking up wickets at regular intervals.
West Indies Innings: 182/5 in 20 Overs
West Indies started steadily in the powerplay, reaching 33/0 in the first 6 overs without losing a wicket. Brandon King looked comfortable, picking boundaries at will, while Shai Hope rotated the strike well. The opening pair put on 54 runs before King fell for 35 off 30 balls, caught by Munsey off Davidson’s bowling.
Hope followed soon after, dismissed by Michael Leask for 19 off 22 balls, leaving West Indies at 58/2. That brought Shimron Hetmyer to the crease, and things changed completely from that point.
Hetmyer went after every bowler from ball one. He reached his fifty off just 22 balls, hitting 1 four and 6 sixes along the way. His partnership with Rovman Powell for the third wicket added 50 runs in only 19 balls. Powell himself chipped in with a quickfire 24 off 14 balls, smashing 1 four and 2 sixes at a strike rate of 171.42.
Hetmyer finally fell for 64 off 36 balls, caught by McMullen off Sharif, but the damage was already done. Sherfane Rutherford added a rapid 26 off 13 balls before Brad Currie got him. Romario Shepherd (6 not out) and Matthew Forde (1 not out) saw out the remaining balls as West Indies finished on a commanding 182/5. The total included 7 extras (1 bye, 2 leg byes, 4 wides).
West Indies reached 50 in 6.6 overs, 100 in 12.2 overs, and 150 in 16.5 overs, showing how they kept the scoring rate high throughout the innings. The run rate of 9.10 told the whole story of their batting dominance.
Scotland Chase: 147 All Out in 18.5 Overs
Chasing 183, Scotland needed a fast start, but the powerplay turned into a disaster. They lost 3 wickets inside the first 6 overs, managing only 38 runs. Michael Jones was the first to go, caught by Rutherford off Holder for just 1 in the second over. George Munsey tried to counter-attack with 19 off 15 balls, hitting 3 fours, but Hetmyer caught him off Joseph’s bowling.
Brandon McMullen fell for 14, bowled by Shepherd in the 5th over. Scotland looked in deep trouble at 37/3 after 5.4 overs. That brought Richie Berrington and Tom Bruce together, and the pair staged a crucial fightback.
Berrington, the Scotland captain, played with real intent. He smacked 42 off just 24 balls, finding 3 fours and 2 sixes at a strike rate of 175.00. His partnership with Bruce took the chase forward, and Scotland reached 100 in 11.5 overs. Bruce contributed 35 off 28 balls, hitting 1 four and 2 sixes, and the pair put on 78 runs for the fourth wicket to bring Scotland right back into the contest.
But then everything fell apart. Bruce fell lbw to Motie for 35, and Berrington was caught by Joseph off Holder. From 115/4, Scotland collapsed to 133/9 in a flash. Romario Shepherd delivered the killer blow with a hat-trick, taking the wickets of Matthew Cross (11), Michael Leask (0), and Oliver Davidson (0) in three consecutive deliveries across the 16th and 17th overs.
Safyaan Sharif also fell for a duck, caught by Holder off Shepherd. Mark Watt hit 15 off 12 balls with 2 fours to add some late runs, but it was too little too late. Scotland were bowled out for 147 in 18.5 overs, falling 35 runs short of the target.
Key Highlight: Player of the Match – Shimron Hetmyer Lights Up Eden Gardens
The left-hander from Guyana delivered a match-winning performance:
- With the bat: 64 off 36 balls (2 fours, 6 sixes) at a strike rate of 177.77
- CricInfo’s MVP: 84.91 impact points
Hetmyer walked in at a tricky 58/2 and took complete charge of the innings. He targeted the Scottish bowlers from the start, clearing the ropes six times in his stay. His fifty came off just 22 balls, with most of his runs scored through sixes. He added 50 in a quick-fire third-wicket stand with Powell, and by the time he fell, West Indies had moved to 175/4. His knock set the tone for the big total and put the match beyond Scotland’s reach.
Special Mention: Romario Shepherd’s Hat-Trick Seals the Deal
Shepherd’s hat-trick was the knockout punch that ended Scotland’s fightback. He dismissed Matthew Cross (caught by Rutherford), Michael Leask (caught by Powell), and Oliver Davidson (bowled) in three straight deliveries.
Cross fell at 133/6 in the 16.2 over, Leask went at 133/7 in 16.3, and Davidson departed at 133/8 in 16.4. Scotland went from a fighting 115/4 to 133/9 in no time, and the match was over as a contest. Shepherd finished with remarkable figures of 5/20 from his 3 overs at an economy of 6.66.
Conclusion: West Indies Starts their Campaign with Lots of Positives
West Indies started their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a strong 35-run victory and 2 points in Group C. The two-time T20 World Cup champions showed they have the firepower in both batting and bowling to challenge any team in this tournament. Hetmyer’s big-hitting ability and Shepherd’s five-wicket haul sent a clear message to the other teams.
Scotland, playing in only their second T20 World Cup, will take heart from the Berrington-Bruce partnership but need to fix their death-overs batting. Losing 6 wickets for 32 runs after being well-placed at 115/4 is something they cannot afford in future games.
This match had everything: explosive batting from Hetmyer, a hat-trick from Shepherd, a brave fightback from Scotland’s middle order, and a dramatic late collapse that sealed West Indies’ comfortable win at Eden Gardens.
