22 balls, six sixes: Hetmyer smashes Scotland in T20 World Cup opener

Kolkata: Shimron Hetmyer’s explosive 22-ball half-century turned the tide as West Indies recovered from a slow start to post a competitive 182 for 5 against Scotland in their T20 World Cup opener at Eden Gardens on Saturday.

The left-handed batsman smashed six sixes and two fours in a 36-ball 64, injecting much-needed momentum into an innings that had begun at a crawl.

West Indies managed a mere 33 without loss in the power play, hitting just four boundaries and facing 17 dot balls—nearly three overs without scoring. By the halfway stage, they were 66/2, under pressure from Scotland’s spinners, led by seasoned campaigner Mark Watt (0/38), who bowled with precision.

After the 10-over mark, Hetmyer launched a brutal assault, slog-sweeping the spinners, pulling short deliveries, and even lofting an audacious inside-out six over covers. West Indies raced to 138 for 2 between overs 11 and 15, plundering 72 runs in just five overs.

Hetmyer found support in Rovman Powell (24 off 14), the duo adding a brisk 81 runs off 37 balls to seize control of the middle overs.

However, Hetmyer’s innings ended spectacularly when Brandon McMullen produced a stunning one-handed running catch at the boundary, diving full stretch to his left.

Scotland’s disciplined start

Scotland, who confirmed participation only two weeks ago after Bangladesh’s withdrawal, justified their decision to bowl first with a disciplined opening spell.

Brandon King appeared tentative, scoring 35 off 30 balls, while captain Shai Hope (19) fell to Michael Leask’s (1/42) quicker delivery. Debutant left-arm spinner Oliver Davidson struck with his second ball, finishing with 1/23 in three overs to keep West Indies in check. Brad Currie emerged as Scotland’s most successful bowler, picking up 2/23.