England THUMP the United States by ten wickets to secure place in World Cup semi-finals – with Chris Jordan taking four wickets in an over before Jos Buttler’s brutal 83 off just 38 balls

England are through to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup after Chris Jordan’s hat-trick – part of a devastating burst of five wickets in six balls – rushed them to victory over the US on the island of his birth. Jos Buttler confirmed a dominant 10-wicket win with a brutal unbeaten 83.

Batting first, the Americans had reached 115 for five with thirteen deliveries to go when Sam Curran had Harmeet Singh caught at long-off by the tumbling Jordan. Jordan then went to work with the ball as former New Zealand international Corey Anderson hit a full toss straight to Harry Brook from long on.

Ali Khan barely survived the first ball, but the US reprieve was fleeting. Jordan knocked back Khan’s stump with his next delivery and then produced another inducker to trap Nosthush Kenjige’s first ball. An inevitable review yielded an equally inevitable three reds for DRS.

In front of a lively Kensington Oval crowd, Jordan then found more lateral movement to clear Saurabh Netravalkar’s middle stump and complete England’s first hat-trick of T20 internationals.

Buttler then flew past the target almost alone, launching seven sixes – including five off spinner Harmeet Singh’s five legitimate balls – as the England openers raced home with 62 deliveries to spare.

Chris Jordan took four wickets in five balls, including a hat-trick, to dismiss USA for 115

Jos Buttler and Phil Salt then brutally chased down the total within 10 overs

Buttler played a key role by hitting as many as 83 balls, not from just 38 balls

But this was Jordan’s day, and his removal of Netravalkar was a fine moment for a man born in the neighboring parish of Christ Church, and schooled in nearby Combermere. The spontaneous joy among the West Indians in the crowd made it clear that he is still as popular here as he is in England. “It was really fun to do it in a special place like this,” he said, taking it all in.

The brutal end to the USA’s meandering innings simplified the task for the England batsmen. Get rid of the runs in 18.4 overs or less and they were assured of a place in the semi-finals without having to worry about the match of the day, between the West Indies and South Africa in Antigua.

That match has become a virtual quarter-final, with the winners joining England in the last four. All that remains to be decided is who finishes first and second, although even then the locations of those teams’ semi-finals – Trinidad on Wednesday or Guyana on Thursday – will depend on the final placings in Group 1, where India, Australia and being Afghanistan. fighting it out.

But it soon became clear that the figure of 18.4 would prove academic as Buttler launched 16 in three balls from Netravalkar’s second over and then smashed the Kenjige’s bent left arm at mid-on.

Buttler’s stunning innings included five sixes in an over off the hapless Harmeet Singh

Adil Rashid was back in good form, taking two for 13 from four top quality overs

But this was Jordan’s day, on the island of his birth, when he scored England’s first-ever T20 hat-trick

For once, Buttler comfortably outpaced Phil Salt, and England’s powerplay score of 60 without loss was their best of the tournament. After that it was only a matter of time, with Buttler hastening victory with five sixes in an over off the hapless Harmeet, a sequence separated only by a wide.

Buttler finished with an unbeaten 83 off just 38 balls, leaving Salt virtually anonymous on 25 off 21. It was a bloodbath.

England are through to the last four with just one win in three against Test-playing opposition, but ruthless displays against Oman, Namibia and now the USA. If they can take on one of the big boys in the semi-finals, they could still leave the Caribbean with their title of world champions intact.