West Indies fast bowler Romario Shepherd delivered a remarkable performance during a Group C match of the Twenty20 World Cup in Kolkata, leading his team to a convincing 35-run victory over Scotland. Shepherd’s exceptional bowling saw him take four wickets in just five balls, including a hat-trick, which considerably dented Scotland’s chances.
Scotland was tasked with chasing down a target of 183 runs, but their innings faltered at 132-5 after 16 overs. In an impressive over, Shepherd dismantled the Scottish lower order, conceding only one run off his first delivery. He quickly took the wickets of Matthew Cross and Michael Leask before claiming a hat-trick by bowling out Oliver Davidson, marking his second T20 International hat-trick.
Following Shepherd’s exploits, Safyaan Sharif managed to survive the next delivery but was dismissed shortly after, caught by Jason Holder. Scotland, who entered the tournament under challenging circumstances after Bangladesh pulled out of their series over security concerns, ended their innings at 147 all out in just 18.5 overs.
Shepherd concluded the match with stellar figures of 5-20, while Holder also made a significant contribution, taking 3 wickets for 30 runs. Earlier, West Indies had set a competitive total of 182-5, largely due to Shimron Hetmyer’s explosive innings of 64 runs off just 36 balls, featuring six sixes.
Hetmyer praised Shepherd for his incredible achievement, acknowledging the rarity of a player achieving both five wickets and a hat-trick in a T20 match. His performance not only secured the victory but also earned him the player-of-the-match award, underscoring the significance of the event for the West Indies.