Chris Jordan’s superb hat-trick guided England to a commanding 10-wicket triumph over the United States in the T20 World Cup. His figures of 4-10 restricted the US to 115 all out, setting the stage for a comfortable chase by England. Skipper Jos Buttler then hammered an unbeaten 83 from just 38 deliveries, propelling his side to victory in a mere 9.4 overs.
Making a stellar comeback, Jordan shone with his hat-trick in the 19th over, dismissing Corey Anderson, Ali Khan, Nosthush Kenjige, and Saurabh Netravalkar. This remarkable feat marks the first hat-trick by an Englishman in any men’s T20 international.
Reflecting on his achievement, Jordan commented, “It’s an incredible feeling, especially to restrict the USA in such a special setting. I’ve been close to a hat-trick before, so it’s great to finally achieve it.” Buttler lauded Jordan’s performance, stating, “He executed his plans superbly, and securing a World Cup hat-trick is a tremendous accomplishment.”
Meanwhile, in Antigua, South Africa secured their place in the semifinals by defeating the West Indies by three wickets in a rain-affected match. Pursuing a revised target of 123 from 17 overs, South Africa successfully chased down 124-7 with an over to spare. Tabraiz Shamsi played a pivotal role with the ball, claiming 3-27 to restrict the West Indies to 135-8.
South Africa captain Aiden Markram expressed relief at reaching the semifinals but acknowledged areas for improvement, saying, “It’s a relief to reach the semis, but we’re
not complacent because we would have preferred a more convincing performance.” With this victory, South Africa joined England as the semifinalists from Super Eight Group 2.
