Chris Jordan fired England into the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup with an emotional hat-trick against the United States on his home island of Barbados.
Jordan, a born and bred Bajan who went to school with popstar Rihanna just a 10-minute drive away from the Kensington Oval, brought the house down at his old stomping ground as he recorded the first-ever T20 hat-trick for the England men’s team.
His efforts opened the door for the reigning champions to take their fate into their own hands, with openers Jos Buttler and Phil Salt sealing the deal amid a flurry of sixes as they chased down 116 in just 9.4 overs.
Their thunderous 10-wicket win guaranteed the holders would make the final four, rendering them safe from the vagaries of net run-rate calculations and the outcome of the late match between South Africa and the West Indies.
But despite Buttler’s best efforts – and his staggering knock of 83 not out from just 38 balls was a remarkable attempt to steal the limelight – the match will be remembered for Jordan’s four wickets in five balls in a brilliant 19th over.
Starting with former New Zealand international Corey Anderson before rounding up Ali Khan, Nosthush Kenjige and Saurabh Netravalkar in successive balls, his ruthless haul helped reduce the USA from 115-5 to 115 all out in the blink of an eye. The 35-year-old also claimed a fine catch off the last ball of the Sam Curran over before his heroics.
That left England with a clear path into the final four – knowing victory in 17.4 overs would make them safe regardless of events elsewhere.
Buttler showed his intent early on with an outrageous 104-metre bomb that landed on the roof of the Worrell, Weekes and Walcott Stand, and that was just a taste of what was to come from England’s captain.
He smashed seven sixes in total, including five in a row – separated only by a wide – off the punch-drunk Harmeet Singh, as well as six fours in a blistering assault.
His opening partner Salt, who also spent part of his childhood in Barbados and was in the ground when England won this competition in 2010, played the supporting role with an unbeaten 25 from 21 balls.
It was an unforgiving performance in the first-ever meeting between these nations and one that marks England out as a force to be reckoned with at the business end of the competition.
The stage had been set for Jordan by Adil Rashid, who pegged back the USA after a decent start that saw them to 48-2 after the powerplay.
Rashid, anointed as England’s most important player just days ago by Buttler, was in complete control as he served up four masterful overs and took two for 13 – Nitish Kumar and Aaron Jones bamboozled by rip-roaring googlies.
There were two more wickets for Curran and one apiece for Reece Topley and Liam Livingstone, who bowled a full four-over spell for just the sixth time in his T20 career.
But their efforts were all prologue. This was a day for Jordan to be celebrated by his teammates, who thronged him as soon as the final wicket fell, and by his hometown crowd who joyously celebrated one of their own.
His was the third hat-trick of the tournament, with Australia’s Pat Cummins achieving the feat against both Bangladesh and Afghanistan but the first ever for the England men’s team.
Nat Sciver-Brunt and Anya Shrubsole have both taken three in three for the women’s side.
England must now wait another 24 hours to find out who they will meet in the last four, with trips to Guyana or Trinidad still in play.
