West Indies win by 7 wickets

West Indies have beaten Scotland by a mammoth eight wickets at Grace Road to continue their charge up the Group B table. Batting first, the Scots were dismissed for a paltry 68, the lowest total recorded in this year's competition and the Windies needed just a shade over ten overs to secure one of the easiest victories they'll ever record, with bowler Courtney Walsh picking up the Man of the Match award on the strength of his splendid 3-7. The West Indies now face Australia in what promises to be an epic encounter as both sides battle to secure qualification to the Super Six stage.

Scotland skipper George Salmond won the toss and had no hesitation in deciding to bat in bright, sunny conditions on what looked like an extremely good wicket. Curtly Ambrose took the new ball and opened from the Bennett End and immediately found good pace and bounce, finishing with a maiden from his first over. Mike Allingham and Mike Smith opened the innings for Scotland, but Ambrose's surprise new ball partner was former Leicestershire all-rounder Phil Simmons who on his home ground, immediately induced an edge from Smith which just dropped short of the slip cordon. Ambrose thought he'd found the edge of Allingham's bat in his second over, but as the big man's fist punched the air in triumph, umpire Javed Akhtar was completely unmoved. But in only the sixth over it was Smith who departed for 1, as Simmons found an edge which keeper Jacobs safely pouched.

Both Ambrose and Simmons continued to trouble the batsmen as the run-rate stagnated in the face of some tight West Indian bowling. Simmons' medium pacers consistently beat the outside edge and Ambrose extracted excellent lift and bounce while Allingham and Ian Stanger's minds were firmly fixed on surviving the initial onslaught.

The West Indies continued to exert pressure but it was a real a case of 'sack the juggler' as Rion King gave Allingham a life, dropping an absolute sitter at mid-on after the opener had spooned up a skier off Simmons. But Allingham's luck eventually ran out in the fourteenth over as Ambrose caught the edge and again Jacobs took the catch. When Walsh replaced Simmons he had immediate success, as Ian Stanger departed to another flying edge which gave Jacobs his third catch of the game. Just one over later Ambrose got back in on the act, removing Scottish skipper George Salmond for 1, with Jacobs the main man again behind the stumps.

The sun continued to beat down, but batting seemed to become no easier for Scotland and in the face of a collapse of epic proportions their faint hopes lay with their man of the tournament Gavin Hamilton. Ambrose finished his spell with superb figures of 10-4-8-2, conceding less than a run an over, but it was newcomer Henderson Bryan who had immediate success, as Greig Williamson fenced inadvisably outside the off stump and was picked up by Williams at slip to leave Scotland at 25-5. Old stager Courtney Walsh had James Brinkely caught by Simmons at second slip with the score at 29-6 and Walsh then pinned Alec Davies LBW for 0 and in the same over. With the batting now folding like origami and Hamilton a bemused on-looker at the non-striker's end, the prospect of Scotland recording the lowest ever World Cup total was looming.

In glorious sunshine the jubilant West Indies fans were starting their carnival early and with Lara scenting a walkover and regularly employing three slips for Walsh they could well have been right. Yet the Scotland fans refused to say die and cheered every run and extra as Hamilton and John Blain brought temporary stability to the Scots innings. In the 28th over Walsh conceded a rare wide which meant that Scotland has surpassed Canada's lowest ever World Cup total of 45 which brought ironic and relieved cheers, but from the second ball of the next over, Hendy Bryan produced one which nipped back sharply and trapped Blain palpably LBW for 3.

The arrival of Asim Butt brought some much needed acceleration to the Scottish innings as he helped raise the fifty and then showed a spark of defiance, slapping Reon King over midwicket for a huge six, but he was always living on the edge and skied one off Bryan which Chanderpaul sprinting out to deep midwicket just couldn't catch. Unfortunately Butt's resistance couldn't last and in the 32nd over he edged King to Williams at first slip for a regulation catch with the Scots teetering at 67 for 9. King produced a genuine bouncer to greet Nick Dyer's arrival at the crease and the next ball Dyer nicked one to Williams at first slip as Scotland surrendered for a lamentable 68 all out - the lowest score of the tournament. Again Hamilton was the sole success with 24 off 43 balls, but with no-one able to stay with him, the wooden spoon will surely be heading Scotland's way .

With the West Indies beginning their innings over an hour before the scheduled lunch break, they made the slightly surprising decision to open with Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Phil Simmons. Chanderpaul looked in good touch and was severe on anything loose, scything Blain through backward point for the Windies' first boundary. With the Scottish fielders shouting for everything and indulging in some rather optimistic appeals, the hopelessness of their position was evident, but the Scottish fans were in good voice, urging their team on and even trying to start a Tartan wave. They were given genuine cause for celebration where Simmons lobbed one up from Blain which Ian Stanger collected easily and then Blain struck again in the seventh over, trapping Stuart Williams in front first ball and at last the Tartan army had something to cheer.

With West Indies klaxons heralding his arrival, skipper Brian Lara strode to the crease and both he and Chanderpaul began to accelerate in an effort to bring an end to proceedings. Lara was beaten by a good ball from Blain, but responded by pulling him for four through mid-on and Lara raised the West Indies fifty by caressing Gavin Hamilton through wide mid off and then clubbed him over mid-on for another boundary. With Lara and Chanderpaul in such excellent touch, a total of 68 was never really defensible and Lara smote Hamilton over midwicket in the tenth over for an enormous six which bounced on the roof of the hospitality tents. With just four required, the result was inevitable and Chanderpaul eased Blain through the covers with the first legal delivery of the eleventh over to secure the victory at a canter.