ICC T20 WC: Batting was disappointing after powerplay, says Windies skipper Pooran after loss to Scotland
Oct 17, 2022
Hobart [Australia], October 17 : Following his side's 42-run loss to Scotland in their Group B match of ICC T20 World Cup round one, West Indies skipper Nicholas Pooran said that his side was absolutely disappointing despite a good start in the powerplay while chasing.
Scotland made it a second consecutive day of upsets at the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup by registering a stunning 42-run victory over the West Indies in Hobart on Monday.
"Tough loss for us. Disappointing for sure. I guess now we got to do the hard work now and win both games. 160 was a par score. The middle-order batting was disappointing. We have been struggling in the middle order for some time and it continues. Definitely not acceptable (about the batting against Scotland's spinners)," said Pooran in a post-match presentation.
"The ball was not spinning much. We got to reflect and get better. The next two games are must win. I guess when you perform bad as players, you want the next game to come as quickly as possible. I do not think we were complacent. We did get off to a good start, but disappointing after the powerplay," he added.
Put to bat first by two-time champions Windies, Scotland put up 160/5 on the board in their quota of 20 overs. A 55-run opening stand between George Munsey (66*) and Michael Jones (20) served as a foundation for a competitive total. Calum MacLeod (23) also contributed with a useful knock.
Pacers Alzarri Joseph (2/28) and Jason Holder (2/14) were the standout bowlers for West Indies. Odean Smith (1/31) also put up a solid show with the ball.
Chasing 161, West Indies were never really a threat to the Scottish bowlers besides the powerplay overs, a phase they finished at 53/2. The side failed to live up to its reputation of being power-hitters and lost wickets due to poor shot selection. Spinners Mark Watt (3/12) and Michael Leask (2/14) and medium-pacer Brad Wheal (2/32) proved to be absolutely lethal and bundled their opponents out for just 118 runs, handing them a 42-run defeat. Only Jason Holder (38) and Kyle Mayers (20) could contribute some decent scores.
Munsey was named as 'Man of the Match' for his match-winning half-century, which came in 53 balls and consisted of nine fours.
