Shimron Hetmyer's half-century, Romario Shepherd's hat-trick power West Indies past Scotland in T20 World Cup 2026 opener

Shimron Hetmyer played a superb counter-attacking knock before Romario Shepherd produced a breathtaking spell with the ball as West Indies started their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a convincing 35-run win against Scotland.

Playing at the same ground where they won their second T20 World Cup title ten years ago, the West Indies failed to get a good start but recovered well to post 182 for 5. Hetmyer led the charge with a powerful 64 off just 36 balls, smashing six sixes and two fours.

Scotland’s bowlers started strongly after opting to bowl first. Brandon King struggled early and made a cautious 35 off 30 balls, while captain Shai Hope was dismissed for 19. The Scottish spinners kept things tight, and at one stage West Indies were crawling at 66 for 2 after 10 overs.

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But Hetmyer changed the momentum completely. He took on the spinners fearlessly, sweeping, pulling and even lifting the ball inside-out over cover. Between overs 11 and 15, the West Indies smashed 72 runs that changed the momentum of the game. 

Hetmyer found solid support from Rovman Powell, who scored a quick 24 off 14 balls. Together, they stitched 81 runs in just 37 deliveries, setting up a strong finish.

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Scotland's chase

Chasing 183, Scotland showed fight but lacked the firepower to keep up. Captain Richie Berrington top-scored with an aggressive 42 off 24 balls, while Tom Bruce added 35. However, the required run rate kept rising, and boundaries became hard to find.

Jason Holder broke a key 78-run partnership by dismissing Berrington with a clever slower ball. That wicket also marked Holder’s 100th wicket in T20 internationals.

 Romario Shepherd shines with ball

The Guyanese fast bowler ripped through Scotland’s lower order with an incredible spell, taking four wickets in just five balls. He dismissed Matthew Cross, Michael Leask and Oliver Davidson on successive deliveries to complete a stunning hat-trick, before removing Safyaan Sharif to finish with figures of 5 for 20 in just three overs. Notably, it was Shepherd’s second T20I hat-trick in four months, having achieved the feat earlier against Bangladesh.

Scotland were eventually bowled out for 147 in 18.5 overs. The win was especially satisfying for the West Indies, who came into the tournament after a difficult build-up, including a surprise series loss to Nepal.