Shepherd’s hat-trick at the start of the World Cup

On the opening day of the T20 World Cup, Scotland’s brief campaign came to a crushing halt as they were outclassed by two-time champions West Indies at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens. In front of sparse crowds, the Caribbean side secured a comprehensive 35-run victory, restricting Scotland to 147 in response to their 182/5. The star of the match was West Indies pacer Romario Shepherd, whose devastating hat-trick and five-wicket haul decimated the Scottish batting line-up.

Earlier in the innings, Shimron Hetmyer had provided a masterclass with the bat, setting a record for the fastest half-century by a West Indian in T20 World Cup history. Meanwhile, in Colombo, Pakistan got their campaign off to a winning start by defeating the Netherlands by three wickets in the tournament’s other opening fixture.

Scotland, who had hurriedly secured qualification, lost an early wicket in the second over while chasing a competitive target. The powerplay proved unforgiving as two more wickets fell, leaving them 37/3. A brief partnership between Richie Berrington and Tom Bruce, adding 78 runs for the fourth wicket, offered a glimmer of hope for the European side. Yet, successive dismissals of both batsmen in quick succession brought Scotland back under pressure.

Shepherd, returning to bowl in the 17th over, delivered a match-defining spell. Claiming a hat-trick and four wickets in two overs, he completely turned the game in West Indies’ favour. He had earlier accounted for George Munsey, finishing with figures of 5/20 from just three overs—the second-best bowling performance for West Indies in T20 World Cup history after Akil Hossain’s 5/11 against Uganda in 2024. Shepherd’s feat marked the first T20 World Cup hat-trick by a West Indies bowler and the tenth overall in the tournament’s history. The inaugural T20 World Cup hat-trick was recorded by Australian legend Brett Lee against Bangladesh in Cape Town during the 2007 edition.

With the bat, Hetmyer led the West Indies innings after winning the toss. The openers, Brandon King and Shai Hope, put on 54 runs in 8.2 overs, but Hetmyer’s 64 off just 36 balls, including six sixes, alongside Rovman Powell’s 24 and Kyle Rutherford’s 26, propelled the team to 182/5. His 22-ball half-century broke Chris Gayle’s previous West Indies record of 23 balls set in the 2009 World Cup, earning Hetmyer the Player of the Match award.

Match Summary:

The victory showcased West Indies’ dominance with both bat and ball, while Scotland’s World Cup debut in India ended in disappointment, highlighting the gap between the emerging European side and the seasoned Caribbean champions.