Chris Gaffaney (New Zealand), Joel Wilson (West Indies), Paul Reiffel (Australia, TV)
Referee
David Boon (Australia)
Toss
England elected to bowl
Pitch Report
We had a bit of showers yesterday, but it's bright and sunny today. The pitch is a bit dry, but the batting looked easy when the West Indies chased down the modest total against the USA in the last game. No alarming signs for the batters on this track.
We had a bit of showers yesterday, but it's bright and sunny today. The pitch is a bit dry, but the batting looked easy when the West Indies chased down the modest total against the USA in the last game. No alarming signs for the batters on this track.
The commentary is not available for this match. Please check the scorecard for latest updates.
Well, then. England are through to the semifinal. Now the match between South Africa and West Indies is going to be virtually a Quarterfinal. South Africa is unbeaten so far in the tournament. West Indies, on the other hand, had a heavy loss against England before beating USA. The North Sound is going to be a full house, rallying right behind the homeside. But South Africa has all the power to silence that crowd. We have a cracker of a game on our hands. Join us right here to see who heads to the last four. Until then, this is Bala and Rajarshi signing off. Good night!
Not the best results in the last two games, but the USA should be proud of the game that they displayed during their debut World Cup. Defeating a side like Pakistan and running South Africa close are no mean achievements. They have shown that they have the potential to grow. And the Super Eights entry has also ensured their participation in the next edition of the T20 World Cup. Saurabh Netravalkar might plan his projects and leaves well in advance for that.
Jos Buttler (England captain): "I thought if we could bring our intensity we'd be too good. We wanted to give ourselves a chance to top the group. Rashid and Livingstone were brilliant with the ball. We've got great options. We wanted to bring CJ (Chris Jordan) back for the game, adds a bit of depth with his batting capabilities as well. A World Cup hat-trick is a great effort."
Aaron James (USA captain): "I guess you could say (run out of steam). We've not had a good last couple of games. Something to look forward at when we get back. But we've really enjoyed this tournament. I think our shot selection wasn't the best. (Adil Rashid) We knew he was the dangerman 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."
Adil Rashid has been adjudged Player Of The Match for figures of 2 for 13 in his four overs! Here's what he has to say: I thought we played exceptionally well there, set the tone with the ball. The bowlers bowled exceptionally well, to restrict them to 115 we were very pleased. Always nice to come here and bowl, always nice to come on, keep it tight and get a wicket and then a new batsman comes, sometimes it goes in your favour. Helps when bowlers from the other end keep it tight. With the wind, you got to assess which end you gonna bowl. With dew, it skids on a bit more, but on any given day or night, sometimes you don't feel good getting hit for fours and sixes. (On his googly) Yes it is coming out nicely, hopefully I can carry that on. CJ's (Jordan) a match-winner, been doing it for a lot of years at the backend, he's been vital and he showed that today as well, taking a hat-trick. hasn't played much this tournament, big congrats to him. He's (Buttler) a world class player, hopefully we can carry this on to the semi-finals.
England win by 10 wickets with 10.2 overs remaining!
England 117/0 (9.2 overs) Jos Buttler 83*(38) | Phil Salt 25*(21)
Well, that was done and dusted in a jiffy, wasn't it? The equation was simple for England, a win, along with a good margin if possible, will help them with a semifinal berth. And the battering that they handed to the US attack just ensured that England playing the semifinal is more or less a certainty.
USA was in the game for around the first six overs of their batting innings. Then it was England all the way. First the spinners had the stranglehold, picking up wickets in quick succession before Jordan cleaned up the tail. The target of 116 runs was never going to be challenging to this England side. The only chance for them was to take some early wickets to create some doubts in the dressing room.
Jos Buttler and Phil Salt took a couple of overs to see the conditions, and then began opening up. Salt has been usually the aggressor at the start of the innings, but today, the skipper wanted to take things into his own hand. And it was pure savagery from him! As Salt witnessed from the non-striker's end, Buttler butchered the US attack.
They scored 60 in the powerplay, 18 in the next two overs and 32 runs off the 9th over. All the bowlers bore the brunt at the hands of Jos Buttler, but nobody suffered as much as Harmeet Singh. That over would appear often in nightmares. Wherever he bowled, whatever he did, the ball traveled over the fence. You can't do a lot when the great man is in such a mood.
9.4 Shadley van Schalkwyk to Jos Buttler, FOUR, and that will do nicely for England - they make it to the last four! Slow, length delivery with plenty of width, Buttler waits for it to arrive, and chops this finely past the gap between backward point and short third. Light work for the England openers, this - they coast through with two balls remaining to the halfway mark of the innings!
9.3 Shadley van Schalkwyk to Phil Salt, on a fuller length wide of off, Salt frees his arms and clubs this towards long on. Another single
9.2 Shadley van Schalkwyk to Jos Buttler, on a fuller length outside off, Buttler works this towards the deep cover region. Just a single
9.1 Shadley van Schalkwyk to Phil Salt, on a short of length around off, Salt looks to heave this into the leg side, doesn't catch all of this one. Just a single as the ball reaches deep mid wicket on the bounce
My word! Jos Buttler! He is playing on a different level altogether! 32 runs off that over! Yes, you read it right. He was just playing around with Harmeet Singh. Wherever he bowled, there was only one place it was going, out of the playing field.
9
overs
110/0score
1
6
6
6
6
1wd
6
runs
Jos Buttler*
78(36)
Philip Salt
23(19)
Harmeet Singh
0/36
8.6 Harmeet Singh to Jos Buttler, SIX MORE! We have another ball on the roof! Floated on a full length around off, this one was right in Buttler's arc as well. He has a measured swing at it, middles it, and the ball simply disappears over long on
8.6 Harmeet Singh to Jos Buttler, wide, on a length, but Harmeet sprays this almost outside the pitch towards the off side
8.5 Harmeet Singh to Jos Buttler, ANOTHER ONE LANDS IN THE STANDS! Speared towards leg stump on a fuller length, Buttler has a free-swing at it, gets all of it, and this one flies over deep square
8.4 Harmeet Singh to Jos Buttler, THIRD SIX IN A ROW! Fired in right in the slot on off, Buttler clears his front leg, has a mow right through his line using his wrists, and the ball flies deep into the three Ws stand!
8.3 Harmeet Singh to Jos Buttler, SIX MORE! On a fuller length around middle and leg, this was bowled slower. Buttler stood over it, had a swing across, and cleared mid wicket with it
8.2 Harmeet Singh to Jos Buttler, CLUBBED OVER LONG OFF! Buttler reaches his fifty with it! He made his mind up on running down the wicket, Harmeet speared this in on a length outside off, Buttler ran down, went through with a hack, and cleared long off by yards!
8.1 Harmeet Singh to Phil Salt, speared in on a length around off, punched towards long on for a single
van Schalkwyk would have had his heart in his mouth after bowling that no ball, but he did well to get off the free hit without conceding a run.
Harmeet Singh [1.0-0-4-0] comes back into the attack.