West Indies successfully managed to seal victory by 91 runs during their match against Scotland despite an early collapse of the top batting order. It was the first match of World Cup qualifiers played at Harare Sports Club in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Scotland won the toss and elected to bowl first. The Windies came up with a winning mindset in order to qualify for ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. But things went differently than planned. Scotland successfully took early wickets, thwarting the Windies from setting a big target.
Batting first, West Innings scored 264 runs by losing all wickets at 48.4 overs, with ten balls remaining. The Windies’ lethal batting order containing Kyle Mayers, Johnson Charles and Sharmarh Brooks were sent back to pavilion without scoring much.
Shai Hope, the Barbadian Cricketer, came up with a mindset of playing a defensive game and spending time on the pitch, preventing the Windies from losing wickets rapidly. He scored 57 runs in 65 balls scoring six fours.
His defensive but crucial innings make West Indies to score a defending target. Keacy Carty, Sint Maarten born, also joins forces with Hope and contributed 32 runs in 47 balls, hitting a four and a six. Chris Greaves dismissed him, breaking the crucial partnership between Hope and Carty.
Wickets continued to fall from Windies’ side, and then Romario Shephard played a stormy inning, scoring 53 runs in 34 balls, hitting five fours and three sixes. The Guyanese strengthened the shaking Windies and led the team to a defending target of 264.
The Scottish side provided 18 extra runs to the Windies delivering 15 wides and 3 leg bye.
From the Scottish side, Mathew Cross and Brandon McMullen gave an excellent start to their team, scoring 73 runs collectively. After their dismissal, Scotland failed to counter the Windies’ bowling attack and kept losing wickets.
Yannic Cariah took four wickets as the most successful bowler from West Indies side. Scotland collapsed in just 33.5 overs scoring 173 runs. West Indies won the match by 91 runs.
