Scotland defeated the West Indies by an astounding 42 runs on Monday in Hobart, making it the second day in a row of surprises at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Scotland amassed 160/5 from their 20 overs when opener George Munsey carried his bat at Bellerive Oval and finished with a brilliant 66 from only 53 deliveries.
Richie Berrington (16), Calum MacLeod (23), and Michael Jones all contributed significantly, but the Scots truly shone on the field and with the ball.
Mark Watt, a left-arm spinner who collected outstanding figures of 3/12 from his four overs, and fellow spinner Michael Leask (2/15), who was equally brilliant, ensured that the West Indies could not contain him.
Additionally, the pair received strong fielding help from their teammates, with Scotland holding on to some outstanding outfield catches and demonstrating to the rest of the world that they will be a tough out in the competition.
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A disappointing cricket day for the Caribbean
With veterans Dwayne Bravo and Chris Gayle gone and players like Andre Russell and Sunil Narine on the outside much was made of the new West Indies era. However, Nicholas Pooran’s team struggled on the big stage and was dismissed for 118 in the last over.
While their top order showed some signs of potential with Kyle Mayers (20), Evin Lewis (14) and Brandon King (17) each reaching the boundary a few times each, veteran all-rounder Jason Holder excelled with bat and ball (38 and 2/14).
Beyond that, though, there was nothing to celebrate as a Scotland team that was on a mission outplayed the West Indies in every facet of the game.
The future route
The West Indies will now play Zimbabwe in Hobart on Wednesday night in a game that they must win, much like Sri Lanka did the day before.
A first-round exit for the Caribbean team would not be seen favorably because the West Indies are the only team at the T20 World Cup to have won two championships.
On Wednesday in Hobart, Scotland will square off against rival European team Ireland, and a win there might advance Berrington’s team to the Super 12 round.
