WI vs SCO | Hetmyer pyrotechnics and Powell fifer set up comfortable Windies win in T20 World Cup opener

Asked to bat first, West Indies got off to an intentful start when Brandon King rove the first ball of the innings emphatically through the covers for four. However, the approach did not translate to the rest of the powerplay, as the likes of Brandon McMullen, Brad Currie, Mark Watt, and Safyaan Sharif shared bowling duties to concede just four boundaries in the period and restricted the Caribbean outfit to 33/0. King broke the shackles as soon as the field spread by smashing Sharif for the innings' first maximum, before adding a couple of fours for good effect. His opening partner Shai Hope could not manage the same though, as he was outdone by a Michael Leask arm ball for a less-than-run-a-ball 19 in the spinner's very first over. King departed exactly an over later for 35 off 30 to debutant Ollie Davidson, and the Windies found themselves reeling at 66/2 at the halfway mark of the innings. Nevertheless, Shimron Hetmyer showed early doors he would not let matters stagnate much further as he took just five deliveries to launch his first six of the innings, before taking down Leask with another in the 11th over. Rovman Powell also joined the party with his first six two deliveries later in an over worth 15, while Hetmyer took his count to four with back-to-back blows off Watt. The runs just kept flowing thereafter as Sharif was punished for 17, before a sixth maximum for Hetmyer brought up a 22-ball half-century for him in the 14th over. Currie finally broke the bludgeoning stand a couple overs later by dispatching Powell for 24 off 14, the partnership eventually worth 81 in 37 deliveries. The arrival of Sherfane Rutherford only inflicted more misery on the Scots as he took Leask for two fours in the 17th over, followed by taking Watt for 13 in the over after. Even though the Europeans finished strongly by conceding just 15 runs in the final two overs while removing both Hetmyer (65 off 36) and Rutherford (26 off 13), the damage had already been done as the Windies finished with a daunting total of 182/5.

In response, Scotland lost their first wicket as early as the second over when Michael Jones' attemmpt to take on Jason Holder ended up in an easy catch for Rutherford. Brandon McMullen and Harry Munsey got some momentum going briefly with a few boundaries but the former tried to scoop Romario Shepherd in the fifth over, only to disturb his own furniture. Shamar Joseph added a third powerplay wicket therafter courtesy of a one-handed diving blinder from Hetmyer in the deep to dispatch Munsey, as the Scots found themselves reeling at 38/3 at the end of the field restrictions. With two new batters at the crease and a spread field, the Windies tried to pile on the pressure but opposition skipper Richie Berrington kept them at bay with a boundary each over, even as Tom Bruce struggled at the other end. Berrington switched gears further after the halfway mark by slamming Hosein for a maximum and a four, and Bruce took the memo to launch himself into action with a couple of sixes himself. The partnership had grown to 78 in just 45 balls and had begun to look immensely threatening when Holder break through with his 100th T20I wicket by removing Berrington for 42, seven balls before Gudakesh Motie pinned Bruce plumb for 35. All of it culminated in a stretch of three quiet overs, and the equation rose to 51 required in four overs when Shepherd came back on for the 17th over. On the second ball, he removed Matt Cross, then had Leask holed out next-ball, and picked up his second T20I hat-trick by sending Davidson's stumps flying as he wheeled off in celebration. Two balls later, he dispatched Sharif to make it a maiden fifer, before putting the game to bed with a spectacular catch to end Watt's belligerent cameo and secure a 35-run win.

5 fer!

On fire!

What a player!

Excellent!

First hatrick!

Awesome!

Another one!

Hat Trick!

5 Wicket!

On fire!