KOLKATA, India, CMC – Shimron Hetymer and Romario Shepherd’s record-breaking performances propelled West Indies to a comprehensive 35-run victory over Scotland in their opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup here on Saturday.
Hetmyer, who only arrived in India on Friday, showed no signs of jet lag on the way to scoring the fastest half-century by a West Indian at a T20 World Cup, with his 64 off 36 balls the mainstay of their total of 182 for five in 20 overs at Eden Gardens.
At one stage, Scotland was in the hunt for a historic win, before Shepherd’s hat-trick – the first by a West Indies bowler at a T20 World Cup – saw them being bowled out for 147 in 18.5 overs.
It was an important win for the Windies, who will face one of the pre-tournament favourites, England, in their next Group C match on Wednesday.
The win was set up by Hetmyer’s scintillating knock, which resuscitated life back into the Windies’ innings following a slow start by openers Brandon King and Shai Hope.
The opening pair struggled to get going, and by the end of the power play had mustered only 33 runs.
King started to accelerate, hitting pacer Safyaan Sharif for a six and two fours to start the seventh over that leaked 17 runs to bring up the Windies’ 50.
Four runs later, off-spinner Michael Leask put Hope out of his misery by bowling him for a pedestrian 19 off 22 balls, as he played across the line of a straight delivery.
Batting at his new position at number three, Hetmyer started streaky, with two attempted slogs ballooning into the air but landing safely between fielders.
After scoring 35 off 30 balls, King slapped a delivery from left-arm spinner Oliver Davidson straight into the hands of George Munsey at backward point to leave the score 58 for two in the 10th over.
His dismissal brought Rovman Powell to the crease, and the pair transformed the West Indies’ position during an 81-run partnership in six overs.
Hetmyer slapped Davidson over long off for six and followed up by smacking Leask over long on for another maximum.
Spinner Mark Watt was given the same treatment, with Hetmyer hitting him for consecutive sixes in the 10th over.
He moved into the 40s with a six and four off Sharif in the 13th over and brought up his 50 off just 22 balls, bettering Chris Gayle’s 23-ball half-century against Australia in 2009.
Powell bludgeoned Leask for another six to end the 15th over, but three balls later, he hit Brad Currie down the throat of deep backward square leg to be out for 24 off 14 balls.
Hetmyer and Sherfane Rutherford, who made 26 off 13 balls, added 36 runs in just over three overs, but their dismissals in the space of two balls helped Scotland fight back at the death.
Hetmyer struck six sixes and two fours, while Rutherford clobbered four fours and one six.
The West Indies then made a promising start with the ball, claiming the early wickets of Michael Jones for one, Brandon McMullen for 14, and Munsey for 19 to a spectacular diving catch by Hetmyer, to restrict Scotland to 38 for three at the end of six overs.
But captain Richie Berrington and Tom Bruce put on 78 runs for the fourth wicket in just eight overs to put Scotland in a strong position of 115 for three at the start of the 14th over.
Bruce was dropped twice, with Jason Holder failing to hold on to a catch running back at mid off when he was five, while Matthew Forde dropped a regulation catch at cover when he was 25.
Holder redeemed himself by having Berrington caught on the deep point boundary for 42 off 24 balls, before Shepherd snared four wickets in the 17th over to decide the contest.
After Gudakesh Motie trapped Bruce lbw for 35 to make the score 122 for five in the 15th over, Shepherd had Matthew Cross and Leask caught in consecutive deliveries and then bowled Davidson to complete the hat-trick, becoming the 10th bowler to achieve the feat at a T20 World Cup.
For good measure, he closed out the over by having Sharif caught at long off, to end with the impressive figures of 5-20 from his three overs, as Scotland slumped to 133 for nine.
Holder then wrapped up the match by dismissing the last man, Mark Watt, to finish with 3-30.
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