T20 World Cup: Scots revel in togetherness, Windies in shambles

Scotland only played two T20 Internationals since last year’s World Cup, getting drubbed 2-0 by New Zealand. But their ODI results in the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2, where they have won five of their last six games, have shown the depth of their talent.

Against the West Indies, George Munsey was the star of the show with the bat, and Mark Watt with the ball. Both had their first taste of big success against Test-playing nations, but they – just like the rest of the squad – have quietly made their mark in Associate cricket.

Munsey hit an unbeaten 53-ball 66, his eighth T20I half-century, to set the tone of the batting innings. He came out of the blocks with some clean ball striking, going after the Windies attack in the initial stages. The opener, a former golf protégé, is known for fast starts (he has a strike rate of 144 as well as a T20I century to his name), and got a few runs at the World Cup last year, but he seemed to slow down against spin after a rain delay.

Later in the innings, Chris Greaves, having gained a reputation as the side’s prime finisher when he smashed 45 off 28 balls in the country’s one and only World Cup win over Bangladesh last year, contributed with two late boundaries, along with Calum MacLeod’s 14-ball 23 to reach a solid total of 166.

In the West Indies innings, Watt and Michael Leask did the big damage. Watt ended his four overs with 3-12, after having opened the bowling and wreaking havoc on the Caribbean side’s top order. Ever since gaining recognition in the UAE last year, Watt has made his name as a deceptive spin bowler who can use all conditions to his advantage. He has the ability to vary both line and length, frustrating batters, and changing the pace, angle, and trajectory without actually employing much spin. Leask provided variation, by getting turn off the pitch, but Watt’s performance put Scotland’s superior preparation and tactics on display.

Despite headline efforts from the above players, Scotland’s triumph was one for the entire team and borne out of togetherness and team spirit. They showed the advantages of a group playing as much cricket together as possible without too many changes – even if that means playing fewer matches – and their previous results have proved they are one of the top sides outside cricket’s elite, one of the best of the rest, and their name may be taken soon with the likes of Afghanistan and Ireland.

New-look Windies at risk

West Indies’ elimination from the World Cup before the Super 12 stage now looks like a real possibility. In fact, if they lose to Zimbabwe, and Scotland beat Ireland – both possibilities looking likelier after Monday’s results – their early exit will be confirmed, making their next game a must-win.

The team from the Caribbean is going through a major transition at the moment. The embarrassment of last year’s T20 World Cup, where they were able to win only one match, is still fresh in memory, and they are missing some of their biggest names.

Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard are retired, the likes of Andre Russell and Sunil Narine have not been selected, the veterans not seemingly integrated with younger players in the team, and to make matters worse, Shimron Hetmeyer, one of their leading batsmen, was left out of the team at the very last minute after he missed an already rescheduled flight to Australia.

On paper, however, they still have some top names. Skipper Nicholas Pooran has made a name for himself in franchise and international cricket over the past few years, and both Evin Lewis and Rovman Powell have been solid in the past. Their bowling attack is reliant on Obed McCoy and Jason Holder, both of whom had an off-day on Monday. They also bat deep, but none of them seems to bat very long, and their implosion against Scotland is cause for concern.

Their inability to get results together stems from the lack of the same attribute that worked so well for Scotland against them: togetherness. For many years now, the two-time T20 world champions have consistently played less and less cricket together, despite having achieved plenty in T20 leagues around the world.

They are missing the experience and quality that the recently-retired stalwarts gave them, but even when they all met during the World Cup last year, there was an evident lack of chemistry among the group, which is being displayed by the newer generation too. Since then, the Windies have played 24 T20Is, more than enough to be well prepared for the World Cup, but similar issues persist.