Barbados—England was quick off the blocks to secure their place in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup semi-finals, as they thrashed the USA by a convincing 10-wicket margin on Sunday.

In pursuit of a mere 116 posted by the Americans, England’s batting might nipped home in just 9. The stand-out performance was a scintillating unbeaten knock by Jos Buttler, where he struck a brilliant 83 off just 38 balls, including six fours and seven sixes. Phil Salt also gave an excellent rear-guard at the back with the bat and remained not out on 25 of only 21 balls.

England’s decision to bowl first proved a strategic move, putting the USA batsmen on the back foot early in the match. Though relatively uninspired, the American innings saw some promising performances from Nitish Kumar, who was dismissed for 30, and Corey Anderson, who made 29. However, the rest of the batting order failed to deliver, leading to their defeat.

Chris Jordan’s exceptional bowling performance was a highlight of the match. He claimed a four-wicket haul in an over, including a hat-trick, which led to dismantling the USA batting line-up. Sam Curran and Adil Rashid also made significant contributions, each claiming two wickets, with Liam Livingstone adding one to the tally.

This comprehensive victory ensures that England emerges as the clear leaders of Group 2 of the Super Eight with three match wins out of the three games played. Two teams on two points are South Africa and the West Indies; they will fight for the last semi-final slot in the group on Monday. The USA has no more matches to play in this World Cup after this loss will be over.