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England have booked their place in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2024 with a commanding 10-wicket win over USA in their final Super Eight match. Using just 9.4 overs to chase down 116, thanks to Jos Buttler’s 83 not out from 38 deliveries, the defending champions have boosted their net run rate (NRR) to 1.992 for good measure.Such a dominant win was set-up by Chris Jordan, who became the first England player to take a men’s T20I hat-trick. Jordan, brought back into the XI for Mark Wood, took four wickets from his final five deliveries – joining Ireland’s Curtis Campher as the only other bowler to achieve that feat at a T20 World Cup – as the USA collapsed from 115 for 5 to 115 all out.The co-hosts had started well enough in Bridgetown, reaching 48 for 2 in their first six overs. But Adil Rashid continued a stellar campaign with a miserly 2 for 13 from his four overs. Aaron Jones, one of the USA’s stronger players of spin, and top-scorer Nitish Kumar were bowled by Rashid, who equalled Stuart Broad’s tally of 30 dismissals in T20 World Cups. Both Rashid and Livingstone ensured only 25 runs were scored in the six overs after the powerplay.The target of 116 needed to be chased down in 18.4 overs to ensure England’s NRR would go ahead of South Africa’s and ensure they had a firm grasp on second-place in the group. Buttler, however, was aiming higher.After a quiet start, Buttler raced to 44 from 26 deliveries at the end of the powerplay – in which England scored 60 – which included cracking a solar panel with the first of two consecutive sixes off Saurabh Netravalkar.

He saved his most brutal assault for Harmeet Singh’s second over – the ninth – getting the strike for the second ball and striking five sixes. The first took him to his first half-century of the tournament, from 32 deliveries. An over later, Buttler’s late cut took England over the line with 62 balls to spare.It means England will finish top of the group if West Indies beat South Africa in Group 2’s final fixture by a margin fewer than 52 runs. A South Africa win, taking them to six points, will see England finish second.

Jordan gets his moment

Chris Jordan did not expect to be at this World Cup. A back injury to Jamie Overton handed him what is probably one last shot on the biggest stage. Today in Barbados, he seized it with both hands with that hat-trick and overall figures of 4 for 10 that took him to 105 T20I wickets.The crescendo of the hat-trick was dripping with emotion. Jordan is not exactly the biggest celebrator, but who could begrudge him this moment? The Bajan-born cricketer grew up watching plenty of cricket at the Kensington Oval before making the move to the UK on a scholarship to Dulwich College. The locals in the stadium cheered him as one of their own.Chris Jordan is welcomed back into the dressing room after his four-wicket 19th over•ICC/Getty Images

Jordan was actually at home in Barbados when he heard of his call-up to the provisional squad at the end of April. Later that day, he was training in the nets with Jofra Archer, who initially put the session live on Instagram before taking it down.Having started in the XI for the washout against Scotland and loss to Australia – both in Bridgetown – Jordan returned for the final Group B match against Namibia before sitting back on the bench for the start of the Super Eights.Even after this display, he may find himself sidelined once more if Buttler opts for Mark Wood’s extra pace, depending on England’s opponents and semi-final venue. Either way, Jordan’s place in history has been secured.

Rashid’s wrong ‘un so right

Like Lionel Messi shifting onto his left foot and Steph Curry pulling up from long range, everyone knows Adil Rashid has a googly. The problem with all three is doing something about it.Aaron Jones and Nitish Kumar were both felled by the legspinner’s delivery that goes the other way. The former tried to combat it with his trusty slog sweep. The latter opted to blaze up and over extra cover. Both had their stumps rearranged.

That’s now five of Rashid’s nine wickets that have come from googlies at this World Cup. Their menace is disguised by full lengths and outside-off-stump lines, similar to where he looks to land his leggies.Rashid has been England’s standout white-ball bowler for some time, and, aged 36, has been at his best throughout this tournament despite coming into the summer with little competitive cricket.Here in Bridgetown, he was unplayable, with just 10 runs conceded from his four boundary-less overs. It was hard not to feel sorry for USA’s batting line-up as he tied them in knots. If it’s any comfort, more seasoned batters, with plenty more exposure to Rashid, have been made to look just as clueless.

Underwhelming Corey Anderson

A lot was expected from Corey Anderson. Having made his debut for the USA in April, the former New Zealand international was meant to bring nous and X-factor to the team after 93 caps and three World Cups as a Blackcap. Things have not panned out as such.It is as much a credit to the rest of the squad that their highest-profile cricketer coming into this tournament has been a footnote on a valiant campaign.Anderson was averaging 13 coming into this final fixture. With six overs to go, he looked relatively set on 24, especially after breaking a boundary-less run of 34 deliveries in the previous by heaving Liam Livingstone for six over gully with a reverse-sweep. Now was his time to show why he was once one of the most sort-after allrounders on the circuit.While there was a hurry-up, it came at the end other end as Harmeet Singh struck 21 in a 27-run stand between them, with a couple of fours and a six of his own.Corey Anderson could not find his rhythm on the day•Getty Images

Singh would fall at the end of the 18th over, leaving Anderson on strike for the penultimate over. Jordan bowled a full toss, and Anderson swung for the hills. Alas, he could only find Harry Brook, who did not have to move an inch from his position a good 10 yards in front of the sponge at long-on.Off he walked for 29, his highest score of the competition, taking his overall tally to 66 from 72 deliveries. A tournament to remember for the USA is perhaps one to forget for Anderson.

Buttler peaking at the right time for England?

It has been an odd tournament for the England captain. Barring one or two tactical errors – the costliest being his gut decision to bowl Will Jacks in the second over against Australia – his captaincy has been sound. Behind the stumps, he has been immaculate. In front of them, however, he hadn’t quite launched.A 28-ball 42 in the defeat to Australia and 24 off eight deliveries in the shellacking of Oman was tempered by a duck against Namibia. Across the first Super Eight matches against West Indies and South Africa, he managed just 42 from as many balls.1:18

Buttler’s innings will give England faith in this team combination – Dasgupta

As such, you could attribute this unbeaten 83 – Buttler’s second-highest score in T20 World Cups – to a release of frustration. That’s certainly how it seemed by the end, even if Buttler attributed the boundary bloodlust as merely the pursuit of a surer path to the knockout stages. His takedown of Harmeet Singh saw him become the second player in a T20I World Cup to strike five sixes in an over after Yuvraj Singh lit up the Durban skies against Stuart Broad in 2007.Having started the month in a foul mood, fed up of addressing the 50-over shambles in India last winter, Buttler looks far more at ease. And why not – after a few bumps, this title defence remains on track.

“For Theo”. As Nat Sciver-Brunt celebrated her match-winning, tenth ODI century – and first as a mother – by rocking her bat like a baby, there was no doubt about the dedication.A run-a-ball 117, also her first international century as England captain, allowed Sciver-Brunt to set up a thumping 89-run win against Sri Lanka and keep her side unbeaten from three games at the World Cup.Somewhat unexpectedly, her wife, the former England seamer Katherine, and their six-month-old son Theo, were in the stands to see it all after the family were reunited in Colombo.Related

• The revving, fizzing, whirring excellence of Ecclestone

• Sciver-Brunt and Ecclestone help England brush aside Sri Lanka

“For Theo, that one,” Sciver-Brunt said of her century celebration. “I had sort of spoken about it a little bit with Katherine, but you never know if you’re going to get another hundred, I suppose. It was in the back of my mind a little bit. They’ve come out to Sri Lanka to watch me, so I thought I’d give back to them for supporting me.”Sciver-Brunt thought she would be saying goodbye to her family for the duration of the tournament and she spoke to ESPNcricinfo about her trepidation over being apart for so long. But, given the logistics of flying from Guwahati to Colombo to Indore to Visakhapatnam through the group stage with a baby, it made sense.They managed to spend England’s pre-tournament training camp in Abu Dhabi together before Katherine and Theo returned to England, but then a previously unplanned trip to Sri Lanka meant they were all in the right place at the right time on Saturday.”It was a really nice bonus for her to be able to come out here,” Sciver-Brunt said. “She had to take on the flight alone with Theo. It was a lot for her to commit to. I’m glad I made it worth their while.”It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster in terms of missing them. I obviously got a bit more sleep when they were at home but it’s really nice to have them here and to tour the world with your family, it’s really, really special.”Sciver-Brunt was the difference that allowed England to post a respectable total of 253 for 9 after the top three of Amy Jones, Tammy Beaumont and Heather Knight failed to convert starts and no one else reached 20.Dropped on 3, Sciver-Brunt made Sri Lanka pay, striking nine fours and two sixes in the face of a threatening home spin attack led by left-armer Inoka Ranaweera’s 3 for 33.Another left-arm spinner, Sophie Ecclestone, sealed the result for England with brilliant 4 for 17 from her ten overs, accounting for four of Sri Lanka’s top five – including Hasini Perera and Harshitha Samarawickrama, who shared a spirited 58-run partnership while Chamari Athapaththu was off the field battling cramp – and Athapaththu herself with a gem that enticed the drive and slid between bat and pad to rattle the stumps.3:19

Sri Lanka undone by Sciver-Brunt’s masterclass

The victory sent England to the top of the table on the eve of Sunday’s heavyweight clash between India and Australia, while Ecclestone’s performance placed her on top of the wicket-takers’ chart with nine at an average of 6.66.Sciver-Brunt is the second-highest run-scorer so far with 149, between New Zealanders Sophie Devine with 260 and Brooke Halliday’s 142. She also collected 2 for 25 from five overs against Sri Lanka as she continued her comeback after a six-month layoff from bowling because of an Achilles tendon injury. Offspinner Charlie Dean, Sciver-Brunt’s newly appointed vice-captain, also picked up two wickets.”In terms of leading the team, I probably don’t think about that so much when I’m batting,” Sciver-Brunt said of her developing ability to compartmentalise her roles as captain and allrounder. “I may pick up things here and there about the wicket and what would be best for our bowlers and thinking in that way but when I’m a batter I’m a batter and I really have worked on trying to focus on that, on one thing at a time.”With the bowling, that’s a little bit different and that’s where I can lean on Charlie a little bit more as vice-captain when I’m bowling to make sure I am clear. There is a lot to think about with captaincy but it’s something I’m enjoying so far.”

Big picture: Teams tuning up ahead of World Cup

Two-and-a-half months out from the Men’s T20 World Cup, it’s time to get serious. There are squads that need finalising, strategies that need trialing, and players that need tuning into the rhythm and tempo of T20 cricket.For Pakistan, this tri-series series is a chance to build on some T20 advances this year. They have won 17 T20Is to the 12 they’ve lost in 2025. That run includes making it to the final of the Asia Cup, and beating South Africa 2-1 in their most-recent T20I series. Under the leadership of Salman Agha, the batting has had a little more purpose, even if it is the bowling that has tended to win Pakistan games.In that series against South Africa, for example, the bowlers had restricted the visitors to feeble scores twice. Still, the chases were largely smooth, and Pakistan’s two victories were comfortable. The generally-preferred strategy seems to be to put the opposition in, and try to blow them away cheaply.Related

• SL call up Vijayakanth Viyaskanth as cover for injured Hasaranga

• Injured Muzarabani out of tri-series, Nyamhuri named replacement

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have not been having an especially good time in this format either. Longstanding firepower issues in the batting order persist, although this is less apparent when Pathum Nissanka fires at the top of the order. They are also trying to figure out their combinations – frequently seeming either a bowler or batter short against top opposition.Ahead of a home World Cup, Sri Lanka are desperate to find a working formula. Dasun Shanaka being named acting captain of the side after Charith Asalanka was withdrawn due to illness suggests the selectors want him locked in, in the lower order, at least until the end of the World Cup. And Wanindu Hasaranga’s decent batting form will also help add some depth, provided Hasaranga recovers for the tri-series. Sri Lanka have drafted in legspinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth as cover on the eve of the tournament, but hope Hasaranga recovers to feature in the competition.Zimbabwe haven’t had quite so hot a year. But at least, unlike for the 2024 World Cup, they have bossed the Africa qualifier, and earned themselves a spot in the big show. And it was in that qualifier – played entirely in Harare – that they made their most impressive run of 2025, picking up five successive victories, including in the final against Namibia, who have also qualified for the World Cup.Zimbabwe recently beat Sri Lanka in a T20I•Zimbabwe Cricket

Pakistan and Sri Lanka will likely pose a much sterner challenge than the lower-ranked teams Zimbabwe played in Harare, though, and they are just coming off a 3-0 loss to Afghanistan. They have, however, also beaten Sri Lanka in a T20I recently; Sri Lanka lost the second T20I in a three-match series in Zimbabwe in September.Although the tri-series between Pakistan, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka was originally scheduled to move to Lahore after two matches in Rawalpindi, security concerns following last week’s bombing in Islamabad has prompted a change. The tournament will be played entirely in Rawalpindi now.

Form guide

Pakistan: WWLLW
Sri Lanka: LLLWW
Zimbabwe: LLLWW

In the spotlight: Babar, Nissanka, and Bennett

Is Babar Azam back? There have been recent signs he is returning to a fuller version of himself, particularly when, on Friday, he struck his first international ton since 2023 even if that was in ODIs. Having been dropped from the T20I side for most of this year, Babar also struck a match-winning 68 off 47 balls against South Africa in Lahore less than three weeks ago. If he can have a successful tri-series, Pakistan will feel a much more menacing unit.Pathum Nissanka got a T20I hundred against India in September•AFP/Getty Images

Sri Lanka may already be over-reliant on Pathum Nissanka, their most improved white-ball batter of the past three years, and owner of a T20I hundred (against India no less), in September. His first week in Pakistan could have gone better. Nissanka got three starts in the ODIs, but could not even breach 30. On what are expected to be flatter tracks in Rawalpindi, he will likely come good at some point. Sri Lanka’s batting feels like a transformed unit on the days in which Nissanka scores heavily.Zimabwe’s run through the T20 World Cup qualifier had partly been fuelled by the form of their opening batters, and Brian Bennett in particular. Bennett crashed 314 runs at a strike rate of 181.50, making three fifties and a hundred in the space of five innings. At age 22, he has never played in Pakistan, but perhaps the greater challenge will be to counter attacks which will now, given his recent success, have spent much more time analysing his game, and devising plans against him.

Pitch and conditions

As we’re heading into winter, expect cold nights in Rawalpindi, where evening temperatures are forecast to drop into the low teens at times. This generally means fielding errors. The surface is expected to be batting friendly, though there is frequently something for the seamers there.

Squads

Pakistan made a late change to their squad, releasing Hasan Nawaz and bringing Fakhar Zaman, who was in excellent ODI form, in.Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (capt), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (wk), Usman TariqFakhar Zaman replaced Hasan Nawaz in Pakistan’s squad•AFP/Getty Images

With Hasaranga’s hamstring tightness a concern, after he sustained a minor hamstring strain in the second ODI against Pakistan, Viyaskanth could get a look-in. Captain Charith Asalanka and Asitha Fernando are returning home due to illness. Top-order batter Pavan Rathnayake has now been brought into the T20I squad. Rathnayake made his international debut in the third ODI of the Pakistan tour.Sri Lanka: Dasun Shanaka (capt.), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Kamil Mishara, Dasun Shanaka (vice-capt), Kamindu Mendis, Pavan Rathnayake, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Janith Liyanage, Wanindu Hasaranaga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushan Hemantha, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara, Eshan MalingaZimbabwe’s one change to the squad that played Afghanistan at home is to add a seamer. The is helpfully named Newman Nyamhuri, who’s a 19-year-old left-arm quick. He’s yet to play an international, and is in the squad because one of their senior bowlers, Blessing Muzarabani, is ruled out with a back injury.Zimbabwe: Sikandar Raza (capt), Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Graeme Cremer, Bradley Evans, Clive Madande, Tinotenda Maposa, Wellington Masakadza, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava, Newman Nyamhuri, Brendan TaylorSince October 2022, Zimbabwe and Pakistan have won two games apiece against each other•ICC via Getty Images

Stats and trivia

• Zimbabwe have played five T20Is in Pakistan – most recently in 2020 – and have lost all five.
• Zimbabwe have a decent recent record against Pakistan, however. Since October 2022, these teams have faced each other four times and won two apiece.
• Although he has been playing T20Is only since 2021, Nissanka is Sri Lanka’s second-highest run-scorer in the format, with 2211 runs from 73 innings. Kusal Perera, who sits at the top, and is part of Sri Lanka’s squad for this tri-series, is only 65 runs ahead of Nissanka.
  

Quinton de Kock’s ODI retirement U-turn has South Africa captain Temba Bavuma excited, but he said that the wicketkeeper-batter might not get an “easy pass” into the XI, with the team loaded with in-form batters who have helped them win ODI series in Australia and England over the last few months.”I’m a little bit biased when it comes to Quinton. I grew up playing with Quinton from school cricket. So the fact that he is back, I’m as excited as a lot of fans out there,” Bavuma said on the sidelines of the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards in Mumbai on Tuesday. “I think there’s quite a lot of batters, young batters especially, who have put up their names. So he is obviously going to have to do what he needs to do from a run-scoring point of view.”I don’t think he is oblivious to that. It’s not the case that he is getting an easy pass into the team. But I think it’s a case of, from where he has been in the abyss, per se, watching into the team, he wants to be a part of what has been created within the team.”Related

• Bavuma out of Test series against Pakistan with calf strain

• De Kock reverses ODI retirement

• De Kock is back on his own with 'no strings attached'

Bavuma also revealed that de Kock had started hinting at wanting to reverse his ODI retirement as early as January. In de Kock’s absence, two left-hand wicketkeeper-batters – in Ryan Rickelton and Lhuan-dre Pretorius – have staked their claim for spots in South Africa’s XI. Tristan Stubbs and Dewald Brevis have also been impressive, in addition to the more seasoned batters like Bavuma himself and Aiden Markram.”I chatted to him earlier this year, in January, just before we were going to the Champions Trophy. And there he started kind of throwing out the fact that he would like to be available. Before he went and spoke to Shukri [Conrad, South Africa head coach], he spoke to me. He made it clear that that’s what he would like to do. And we will support him.”Quinton is one of the good guys within the system, a super-talented player. So if it’s the Quinton who batted in the 2023 50-over World Cup, I don’t think anyone would say no to that.”South Africa will begin their World Test Championship defence in Pakistan•ICC/Getty Images

At the 2023 World Cup, de Kock scored 594 runs from ten innings, at a strike rate of 107.02, and finished as the third-highest run-scorer, helping South Africa reach the semi-finals.Apart from South Africa’s lead-up to a home ODI World Cup in 2027, Bavuma will also have to oversee their defence of the World Test Championship title, beginning with a two-Test series in Pakistan starting October 12. Bavuma will not be part of that series as he is recovering from a calf strain but he sounded positive about South Africa’s chances.”Pakistan selected five spinners into their squad, so that really shows you what type of conditions the guys will be faced with there,” Bavuma said. “Guys are back home now, busy with their preparation. So we’ll leave no stone unturned. We’ve been to Pakistan before. The Champions Trophy – yes, those were good wickets. But we are familiar with the place.”After that will be India. There’s Sri Lanka as well. So there’s a lot more of the subcontinent tours that we’re going to have to overcome the challenge. And then something a little bit more familiar back home with Australia and England. But then again, those are strong teams.”South Africa faced criticism from some quarters about getting favourable fixtures in the previous cycle, but Bavuma was adamant that they didn’t want to shy away from playing the best teams.”I know in the previous cycle, there was criticism around our route into the final, supposedly playing the weaker nations,” Bavuma said. “That’s not the case now. I think for us as players, we look at it with a lot of optimism. Firstly, as a competitor, as an international player, you can test yourself against the best players. And obviously from a team point of view, we keep going and achieving what we want to achieve.”

Heavy afternoon rain had the final say at the Kia Oval as title favourites Surrey were forced to accept a draw against Warwickshire that cuts their lead over Nottinghamshire at the top of the Rothesay County Championship to a single point.Surrey set Warwickshire 390 to win in 76 overs after declaring their second innings on 391 for 8, with Dom Sibley completing his fourth Championship hundred of the season despite batting with a runner due to a groin injury.But Warwickshire had few alarms in initially reaching 60 for 1 from 23 overs before the players were driven from the field at 2.24pm. Play did resume again at 3.50pm, with a potential 36 overs remaining, but hands were shaken 16 overs later with Warwickshire on 105 for 1.Tom Lawes pinned Warwickshire captain Alex Davies leg-before for 31 just before the rains came but, in the end, just too many overs – 114 in all following the loss of almost 75 on day three – were taken out of the game by the weather for a positive result to be possible.It sets up a titanic contest between Surrey and Nottinghamshire next week in their only meeting this season, and on a ground where Surrey have lost only one Championship fixture since April 2022 and the start of their three title-winning summers.Rob Yates remained 34 not out and Will Young, who had top-scored for Warwickshire with 72 in their first innings, was unbeaten on 31.With eight points for the draw, both sides take 11 points from this fixture and that means Surrey, chasing a fourth successive Championship title, have lost ground against Notts – who earlier in the day beat Worcestershire at New Road.Surrey, resuming on 276 for 2, added 115 more runs from 18.5 overs with Sibley – who had retired hurt on 64 before the start of a truncated third day – re-emerging at the fall of the sixth wicket, with his captain Rory Burns acting as his runner, to go to an heroic 103 not out. Sibley even hit successive sixes, flipped and hooked off Olly Hannon-Dalby, for the first time in his first-class career to help to speed Surrey to their declaration.The final day began with Ben Foakes and Dan Lawrence, unbeaten on 41 and 29 respectively overnight, hitting out with abandon in the opening overs. Foakes slammed the second ball of the morning wide of mid-on for four and Lawrence hoisted Michael Booth over long on for six before flipping to fine leg for another boundary.However, after Foakes had hooked Nathan Gilchrist for four to reach his half-century, he fell next ball for 52 attempting another big hit to deep square leg to prompt a clatter of five wickets for 24 runs in eight overs as Warwickshire successfully took the second new ball.Lawrence holed out to deep midwicket for 43 off Booth, who then had both Jordan Clark leg-before for 8 – following a pulled six – and Gus Atkinson brilliantly held on the boundary ropes by Ethan Bamber.Another great catch, this time low to his right by a sprawling Young at backward point, saw the end of Ryan Patel for 10 off Gilchrist but Sibley then strode out to join Lawes in a rollicking stand of 52 for the eighth wicket. Lawes’ useful 19 ended with a spliced catch to cover but there was just enough time for Sibley to go to three figures, with a dabbed reverse seep for two off Yates’ off spin, before Burns’ declaration.