T20 World Cup: England beat United States to book semi-final place as Chris Jordan takes hat-trick

Updated 23/06/2024 at 17:31 GMT

England made a slow start to the defence of the T20 World Cup and could have been eliminated at the group stage had Scotland beaten Australia in the final game. But after falling over the line into the Super Eights earlier this month, an emphatic win over the United States in Barbados on Sunday powered Jos Buttler's side into the semi-finals. Chris Jordan starred with a brilliant hat-trick.

Chris Jordan celebrates during the ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup match between USA and England at Kensington Oval on June 23, 2024 in Bridgetown, Barbados

Image credit: Getty Images

England crushed the United States in Barbados to power into the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup - as Chris Jordan starred with the ball with a brilliant hat-trick.

The defending champions were staring elimination in the face during the group stage earlier in the month, but limped into the Super Eight phase.

Defeat to South Africa in their second game of the Super Eights put them on the back foot, but they thrashed United States by 10 wickets at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown on Sunday.

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The emphatic win with 62 balls to spare took them above South Africa on net run rate to secure a place in the semi-finals.

England’s win means the late game between South Africa and West Indies is a winner-take-all clash for a place in the semis.

Jos Buttler won the toss and had no hesitation in inserting USA - on a pitch he felt would improve for batting as the day progressed.

Reece Topley’s line was a shade awry in his first over, and he was flicked for six by Andries Gous off the fourth ball of the innings.

The final ball of the over was also leg side and Gous attempted to repeat the dose, but he did not make clean contact and Phil Salt took a simple catch at deep midwicket.

Steven Taylor found piercing the field a struggle, and his run-a-ball innings of 12 was ended when Moeen Ali took a sharp catch, diving to his left, off a Sam Curran slower ball.

Adil Rashid is a master of bowling the middle overs in T20 cricket, and his variations proved too much for Aaron Jones (10). Leg-spinner, leg-spinner and a slider were followed by a googly and Jones played all around it and lost his middle stump.

Nitish Kumar took the attack to England with a couple of sixes and a four, but he too was deceived by a Rashid googly and departed for a 24-ball 30 - as the leggie joined Stuart Broad as England’s joint-top wicket-taker in T20 World Cups with 30.

Liam Livingstone’s variations of spin complemented Rashid superbly, and he claimed the wicket of Milind Kumar (4) - caught by Buttler after a wild swipe.

While the pace of Topley and Curran proved the liking of the USA batters, Rashid (2-13 off 4 overs) and Livingstone (1-24 off 4 overs) put the brakes on the innings.

Harmeet Singh plundered a four and a six off successive balls from Curran in the 18th over, but he picked out Jordan when attempting to clear the fence again and departed for 21 off 17 balls.

After taking a catch to end the 18th over, Jordan took four wickets - including a hat-trick - in the 19th on the island of Barbados where he was born and raised.

“An unbelievable feeling,” Jordan said. “More importantly, to restrict them with what I thought was a solid fielding performance.

“But to do it in a special place like this is always nice.“

Jordan’s brilliance wrapped up the United States innings for 115, and left England with a simple equation: chase down 116 in 18.4 overs for a place in the semi-finals.

Buttler and Salt took a couple of overs to assess conditions, before opening their shoulders in the third.

The England skipper caused some damage to a solar panel on the Weekes, Worrell and Walcott Stand as he hit a 104-metre six onto the top of the roof.

At the end of the powerplay, England were superbly placed at 60-0 - and Buttler continued his assault.

A six over long off brought up his fifty - his first of the tournament - off 32 balls.

While Jordan took four wickets in an over, Buttler plundered five sixes in an over off Harmeet - the fifth smashing another solar panel - as England went to 110-0 off nine overs.

It was appropriate that Buttler hit the winning runs, finishing 83 not out off 38 balls, as England showed they are in no mood to relinquish their title.

“I have been feeling good all year," Buttler said. "You don’t always get the results, but I have been hitting the ball well and it is nice to get that confidence that is important.

“I am still one of 11 and have got to do my job.”

England brought in Jordan for Mark Wood, and Buttler feels it shows they have plenty of cards to play.

“We have got great options,” Buttler said. “We wanted to bring CJ back in to add a bit of depth to the line-up with his all-round abilities.”

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