Two-time champions West Indies' World Cup dream ends after heartbreaking loss to Scotland in Super Six tie of Qualifiers

The winner of two ODI World Cup trophies and once a world beater, got a reality check after seven-wicket loss to Scotland in the Super Six stage

It was always a tough ask for West Indies after the two body blows they suffered last week in the group stage, but on Saturday at the Harare Sports Club in Zimbabwe it all came crashing down for the nation that was once hailed as force to reckon with in cricket, no matter the format. The winner of two ODI World Cup trophies and once a world beater, got a reality check on Saturday after they suffered a seven-wicket loss to Scotland in the Super Six stage to crash out of the race to make it to India for the 2023 World Cup in October.

West Indies cricket hits a new low (AP)

History was against them after they put forward a sorry looking scorecard. Scotland attack was bang on target with the new ball as they sent West Indies four down inside seven overs for just 65 runs. Nicholas Pooran looked to restrict the fall of wicket with what looked as a sensible 43-ball 21 before throwing away his wicket.

Jason Holder and Romario Shepherd then aimed to stage a late fightback with their steady 77-run stand where the former scored 45 off 79 while the latter added 36 off 43, but soon after the dismissal of the No.8, the rest of the line-up crumbled in a blink of an eye. With yet another shoddy batting performance, West Indies were bundled for only 181 runs.

They had never defended a scored of 200 or less in the last five years in ODI cricket while Scotland have mastered the art of chasing in the format, winning 12 of their last 14 instances.

Holder did give West Indies the perfect start after he dismissed opener Christopher McBride in the first ball of the innings, but a valiant 125-run stand between Matthew Cross and Brandon McMullen, who was also the pick the bowlers with his 3/32, ensured Scotland were on the right track for one of the most significant wins in their ODI history. Both scored their respective half-centuries en route to the century stand. And while McMullen was dismissed in his bid to finish off the chase, Cross continued remainder of the charge single-handedly with his unbeaten 74 off 107 as Scotland wrapped it up in 43.3 overs.

West Indies already had their World Cup chances hanging by a thread after their losses against Zimbabwe and Netherlands, with the latter being in a thrilling Super Over contest in the highest-scoring tied ODI. Their only two wins in the group stage came against Nepal and United States, which although helped them make the Super Six stage of the Qualifiers tournament, but as per the rules, they couldn't carry forward the points from those two wins.

With Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe continuing their unbeaten run even in the Super Six stage, West Indies' only hope was to bounce back to winning ways and have other factors go their way. Alas, they let slip of the opportunity that was in their control, leaving fate to befriend them in their hope to make the 2023 World Cup.

2023 edition will be the first ever men's ODI World Cup without two-time winners West Indies, who became the second team to be eliminated in the Super Six stage after Oman. Sri Lanka and Netherlands, with six points each from three games, still stand in pole position to make the World Cup in India with Scotland threatening to pose a fight having secured four points in three matches to stand third. Netherlands, meanwhile, stand fourth with two points in three games.