ENGLAND WIN BY TEN WICKETS!
With 62 balls remaining. That’s one way to restore some confidence into this world cup defence. England book their place in the semi-final.
Key events
James Wallace
Righto, that is me done. I’ll be back tomorrow to bring you Australia v India and there’s the small matter of a straight shootout for a semi-final spot between South Africa and host nation West Indies in a few hours time. This T20 World Cup is entering the business end. Thanks for your company and comments, goodnight.
Jos Buttler is a happy man.
He says England were aware of the calculations and wanted to give themselves every chance of topping the group. He has the (bashful) smile of a man who knows that things couldn’t have gone any better over the last couple of hours and pays tribute to the bowling depth at his disposal, particularly Livingstone and Rashid today.
A word on Chris Jordan?
A World Cup hat-trick is a great effort.”
Crikey – wind down the hyperbole eh Jos!
England into the semi-finals, having lost 2 of their 7 games (and having 1 washed out when in the balance).
South Africa might not make the semis, having won all 6 of their games so far (including beating England).
A format that is at once very forgiving and very unforgiving.
— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) June 23, 2024
Well played USA – they got some treatment today but have been a joy to watch over the last few weeks. Their victory over Pakistan will live long in the memory.
USA captain Aaron Jones:
It is a hard game to get to grips with! We’ve not had a good last two games… but we’ve really enjoyed this tournament. I think our shot selection wasn’t the best (with the bat) We knew he (Chris Jordan) was the danger-man but we still gave him some wickets.”
This is our first World Cup. I don’t think people would have thought we’d be playing here against the big boys. Hopefully this will open the eyes of the American public.”
Despite Buttler’s blitzkrieg – Adil Rashid is named player of the match.
No complaints here, he was phenomenal with the ball, as he has been all tournament. He said:
All the bowlers bowled extremely well, to restrict them to 115 was very pleasing. It’s always nice to keep it tight and get an early wicket which brings the new batter in. The googly has been coming out nicely too.”
On hat-trick taker Chris Jordan:
CJ’ is a match-winner. He’s been doing it for a number of years now, especially at the back end. Jos is a world-class player and has been for many a year too, hopefully we can carry this on now in the semi-finals.”
It was nailed on from the start…right?
England are the first defending champions to reach a men’s T20 World Cup semi-final in a decade
2014: West Indies (SFs)
2016: Sri Lanka (S10s)
2021: West Indies (S12s)
2022: Australia (S12s)— Matt Roller (@mroller98) June 23, 2024
ENGLAND WIN BY TEN WICKETS!
With 62 balls remaining. That’s one way to restore some confidence into this world cup defence. England book their place in the semi-final.
9th over: England 110-0 (Salt 23, Buttler 78) Absolutely Brutal and jaw dropping batting from Jos Buttler. Poor Harmeet Singh is bludgeoned, every delivery seemed destined to go the distance. 32 runs off the over (a wide and a Phil Salt single). Buttler using those liquid wrists to launch each delivery into the stands. Amazing hitting.
JOS BUTTLER HAS JUST HIT FIVE SIXES IN AN OVER!
8th over: England 78-0 (Salt 22, Buttler 48) The marvellously monikered Shadley van Schalkwyk comes on for a whirl. Starts well, a yorker is dug out just in time by Salt. Too full with the next ball though, shadly, (shorry) and Salt drives away easily for four. A nervy over sees a no-ball given for a waist high full toss as England pocket eight runs off it in total.
7th over: England 70-0 (Salt 16, Buttler 47) Ali Khan is entrusted with another over. He bustles in with intent but is worked around with relative ease as England take ten runs off it without finding the fence.
6th over: England 60-0 (Salt 1o, Buttler 44) Kenjige continues. Two singles off the first two brings up England’s fifty partnership for no loss. Butter is fortunate to find four with a lofted drive, the fielder really should have cut it off but ended up sprawled and embarrassed. Shot! Reverse-sweep from Butter flies away into the gap for another boundary. England might be trying to get these runs inside twelve overs to give themselves the best chance of topping the group and the chance to swerve India in the semis.
5th over: England 48-0 (Salt 9, Buttler 33) The right arm pace of Ali Khan is given a whirl. He starts with an absolute shocker, spearing a huge wide down the leg side that give the keeper no chance at all. Buttler has the bit between his molars now – he drives down the ground dismissively for four more before nudging a single to let Phil Salt have a crack. Salt flicks for two and then sends a purring drive careering through the covers for four. Sumptuous.
4th over: England 32-0 (Salt 3, Buttler 28) America opt for the slow left-arm spin of Nosthush Kenjige. Buttler uses his feet to get to the pitch and work away through the leg side for four before dabbing a single to keep strike. This is already his second highest score of the tournament.
3rd over: England 25-0 (Salt 2, Buttler 22) Buttler advances to Netravalkar but does not time it well at all, the bat twisting in his hands as the ball ploops over the in-field.
That’s more like it! A full and wide ball is crunched through the covers for four. SIX! Buttler times this one, launching a length ball for six onto the solar panels behind the bowler’s arm. Yikes! Buttler looks like he is beaten by the slower ball as his bottom hands comes off the bat playing another lofted drive but the ball still somehow sails away over the rope for SIX. Nineteen runs plundered off the over. What were you worried about?
2nd over: England 6-0 (Salt 2, Buttler 3) Spin from the other end as Harmeet Singh is tossed the ball. England can’t find the fence thus far, dealing entirely in singles as they start watchfully. That’s the over. Oh, and THEY ARE STILL BEHIND THE RATE.
1st over: England 2-0 (Salt 1, Buttler 1) The left-arm pace of Netravalkar will start things off for the USA. Salt pokes down the ground to get England started with a single. Three dots follow as the seamer lands the ball on a nagging length. Buttler tucks into the leg side for a single of his own and they are the only runs off the over. I don’t want to scaremonger but ENGLAND ARE BEHIND THE RUN RATE.
Here come the players, Buttler and Salt striding out with purpose. Buckle up, this could be fun!
Some of these calculations might be false:
By my reckoning (pinch of mathematical salt please) England need to get 116 in 17.4 overs to qualify outright for the semis and not have to keep and eye on the SA v WI result. If they go tonto and get there in less than twelve overs they might well have a chance to win the group (likely avoiding India in semi-finals)
Phew. A beaming Chris Jordan is collared by the broadcasters as he makes his way from the field.
“It’s very nice to do it at a special place like this” he says. “I’ve had the chance twice before and messed up the third ball.”
Not this time – he took out middle stump like a cold-hearted marksman.
USA all out for 115!
England need 116 runs to win. What a finish to the innings – America lost FIVE wickets in SIX balls.
CHRIS JORDAN TAKES A HAT-TRICK!
Bowled him! What a moment! Chris Jordan at the Kensington Oval, a ground that means so much to him on the island of his birth. Sends the middle stump flying to take the hat-trick and make it four wickets in five balls! The crowd go wild and England mob Jordan. Great scenes.
WICKET! Nosthush Kenjige lbw b Jordan 0 (USA 115-9)
Plum Pudding! Jordan gets Kenjige LBW first ball and is on a hat-trick! He’s already taken three wickets in four balls this over… this’ll be a proper hat-trick – none of that Pat Cummins split over two overs nonsense*…
*Joke. Sort of.
WICKET! Ali Khan b Jordan 0 (USA 115-8)
Timber! Jordan cleans up Ali Khan for a second ball duck. Lovely ball, tailing in and ripping off stump out of the ground.
WICKET! Anderson c Brook b Jordan 29 (USA 115-7)
Carbon copy wicket, albeit Jordan is the bowler this time. America in danger of being skittled.
WICKET! Singh c Jordan b Curran 21 (USA 115-6)
Curran has the last laugh. Singh tries to repeat the shot a third time but can only find ol’’ velcro hand himself, Chris Jordan, at long-off.
Remarkable how quickly things can change in this format though – Harmeet Singh climbs into Sam Curran and deposits him for a four and then a straight six down the ground. One ball of the over left to go…
17th over: USA 101-5 (Anderson 28, Singh 8) All of a sudden England look like a serious outfit once more. All their plans coming off, looking cool and calm, getting the job done. Chris Jordan is right on the money – mixing yorkers and slower balls. Just three singles off the over.
16th over: USA 97-5 (Anderson 26, Singh 6) Harmeet Singh stands tall and slaps a length ball from Archer through cover for a lesser spotted four. That must’ve felt really good. Jofra responds with two excellent blockhole botherers. Two singles prised out of the over by USA. England coasting at the moment, four overs to go.
Here comes Jofra for another burst. Tough going for the USA out in Barbados at the moment.
15th over: USA 91-5 (Anderson 24, Singh 1) Rashid finishes with 2-13 off his four overs. He’s worth his weight in gold, two wickets and ZERO boundaries conceded. Masterful wrist spin.