CWC Qualifiers: 2-time champions West Indies fail to qualify for World Cup for first time in 48 years
West Indies’ cricketing history suffered a massive dent as the two-time champions failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 48 years.
The Caribbean side will not feature in the 2023 World Cup after being knocked out of the qualifiers. In the Super Six match against Scotland, West Indies slipped from 81/6 to 181 all out. Scotland, in reply, chased down the total comfortably to keep their slim hopes of securing the World Cup berth alive.
West Indies, who were once considered a dangerous team, have today become a tragic story. Under the leadership of Clive Lloyd, West Indies lived their golden era in white-ball cricket in the first two editions of the World Cup, becoming the champions in 1975 and 1979.
However, they failed to complete a three-peat as the Lloyd-led team lost the 1983 World Cup final to India. Since then, West Indies’ performance in the ODI format has been nothing but disappointing. They tried to revive their golden era but could not achieve the goal as they ended up as semi-finalists in 1996 and quarter-finalists in 2011 and 2015.
Brandon McMullen showcased his skills with both bat and ball as Scotland secured a momentous victory over West Indies, bolstering their hopes of qualifying for the World Cup.
McMullen’s impressive all-round display saw him claim three wickets for 32 runs before scoring a vital 69 runs during Scotland’s chase. With 6.3 overs to spare, Matthew Cross remained unbeaten on 74, hitting the winning runs to seal the victory.
Opting to field after winning the toss, Richie Berrington’s decision proved fruitful as Scotland quickly made inroads into West Indies’ batting lineup. McMullen’s exceptional bowling dismissed Johnson Charles and Shamarh Brooks for ducks, while Chris Sole contributed by uprooting Kyle Mayers’ stumps. West Indies found themselves struggling at 30 for four.
Although Jason Holder and Romario Shepherd staged a brief recovery with a 77-run partnership, their dismissals, including a superb catch by Safyaan Sharif, triggered a collapse. Scotland’s bowlers, including Sole and Chris Greaves, secured two wickets each as West Indies were bowled out for 181.
In their pursuit of victory, Scotland faced an early setback when Chris McBride fell on the first ball. However, McMullen and Cross took charge, expertly rotating the strike and punishing loose deliveries.
McMullen reached his half-century first, followed shortly by Cross, who found momentum with three consecutive boundaries. Despite losing McMullen and George Munsey, Captain Berrington joined Cross to guide Scotland to a historic triumph, with Cross sealing the deal by pulling the ball through deep mid-wicket.