Scotland vs West Indies Prediction: West Indies are in a tough spot after losing to Netherlands

Scotland and West Indies are going head to head against each other at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe on 1st July. West Indies are in a tough spot after losing to Netherlands in Super over. Who will win this game?

Scotland has showcased commendable performance thus far in the Qualifiers, although they may face significant challenges against stronger opponents like Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. Nonetheless, securing a victory against the West Indies would greatly benefit them in the future stages of the tournament.

Currently, McMullen stands as the second-highest run-scorer for the team with 155 runs. However, it's important to note that his exceptional 136-run innings came against Oman, while he only managed a combined total of 19 runs in the other three matches. It would be more prudent to focus on Berrington, who has scored 207 runs, and Leask, who has contributed 148 runs. Although both possess talent, their performances against world-class bowlers have not been consistently outstanding. Joseph and Hosein from the West Indies can pose significant challenges for them.

In terms of bowling, spinner Greaves emerges as the biggest threat to the West Indies batsmen. With 9 wickets in his last two games, including an impressive 4/32 against Sri Lanka, he must be regarded as a formidable bowler. However, concerns arise regarding the performance of the other bowlers after Greaves. McMullen has shown potential with figures of 7/98, but most of his success came against Ireland. Unless another bowler steps up, the West Indies batsmen could dominate the Scottish bowling attack.

RD Berrington(C), B McMullen, Chris McBride, MA Leask, Jack Jarvis, CN Greaves, MH Cross(wk), Tomas Mackintosh, CB Sole, MRJ Watt, AC Evans

Losing to Zimbabwe may not be a significant setback for the West Indies, but the team will surely feel they missed an opportunity to secure a victory against the Netherlands, particularly considering the game ended in a tie and had to be decided through a one-over eliminator.

In terms of batting, Pooran (296 runs) and Hope (263 runs) have been the standout performers for the team across four matches. However, there is a sense that King has more to offer. Although he has scored 128 runs so far, his performances have been somewhat inconsistent, highlighted by a duck against the U.S. and a score of 20 against Zimbabwe. His innings of 76 against the Netherlands indicate a step in the right direction, and the team will rely on him, along with Hope and Pooran, to maintain their solid batting contributions.

In the bowling department, pacer Joseph has displayed remarkable consistency, claiming two wickets per match and accumulating a total of 8/228 at an impressive economy rate of 5.70. Joseph is widely regarded as one of the most promising fast bowlers in the world, making it crucial for the West Indies not to miss out on his talents for the World Cup. Hosein (6/205) and Chase (5/172) have also performed admirably, but a significant burden will rest on Joseph's shoulders.

Shamarh Brooks, Brandon King, Roston Chase, Keemo Paul, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Shai Hope(C), Johnson Charles, Nicholas Pooran, Alzarri Joseph, AJ Hosein

The pitch at this venue is known for being less favourable to batters, providing ample bounce and swing for pace bowlers. Even a slight mistake can prove to be fatal for the batsmen at the crease, while spinners will face challenges in extracting turn from the surface. Typically, this is not a high-scoring ground, so a score of approximately 250 can be anticipated. We expect West Indies to win the game as they have to win all their games to qualify for the world cup.