Barbados, June 23,24: In a decisive Super Eights encounter on Sunday, England faced off against the USA, both teams vying for a spot in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup semifinals. England, led by Jos Buttler, delivered an emphatic performance, winning by ten wickets to secure their place in the semifinals. West Indies and South Africa will now compete for the remaining spot from the group later on Sunday.
England’s bowlers restricted the USA to 115 all out with an over remaining, highlighting a spectacular collapse where the USA lost their last five wickets without adding a single run. Chris Jordan was the star of the show, taking four wickets in the 19th over to wrap up the innings after Adil Rashid had earlier claimed two wickets, making him England’s joint-highest wicket-taker in Men’s T20 World Cups.
Adil Rashid was England’s standout bowler, finishing with figures of 2/13. He dismissed the dual threats of Nitish Kumar (30 off 24 balls) and captain Aaron Jones (10 off 16), which helped stifle the USA’s top order after a brisk start in the powerplay. Reece Topley and Sam Curran also contributed with key wickets to leave the USA at 43/2.
Liam Livingstone added to the USA’s woes by taking a great catch to dismiss Milind Kumar off Sam Curran’s bowling. The USA then collapsed from 115/5 to 115 all out. Curran redeemed himself for an expensive 18th over by drawing Harmeet Singh into the reliable hands of Chris Jordan, who then bowled a sensational 19th over to finish the innings.
Jordan’s remarkable over included a hat-trick, taking out Anderson, Muhammad Ali-Khan, Nosthush Kenjige, and Saurabh Netravalkar in quick succession. This spectacular bowling display ensured the USA could not add to their total, setting England up for an easy chase.
England reached 117 without loss in just under ten overs. Captain Jos Buttler led the charge with an explosive 83 not out off 38 balls, hitting five sixes in one over from Harmeet Singh. Phil Salt provided solid support with an unbeaten 25 off 21 balls, ensuring England’s victory was never in doubt.
This dominant win followed England’s previous success against the West Indies, allowing them to edge out the USA, who had yet to secure a win in this stage. England made one change to their lineup, with Chris Jordan replacing Mark Wood, while the USA fielded an unchanged team.
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