Jersey secured their place in Saturday's final – and with it a berth in Division 4 of the World Cricket League – with a magnificent 84-run victory over the USA at FB Fields on Friday.

In a match worthy of the final itself, watched by a crowd of several hundred, the Jersey batsmen set an imposing target of 220 for five, and then the attack strangled their opponents with a fine display of seam bowling.

The start was delayed for an hour to allow wet areas on the square to dry out, and US captain Steve Massiah then won the toss and understandably invited Jersey to bat first.

Opening bowlers Imran Awan and Khawaja Shuja gave him some justification for this decision as they frequently beat the bat early on, but Peter Gough and Steve Carlyon were more than equal to the challenge, punishing anything loose and pressuring the field with some excellent running between the wickets.

It was not until the 32nd over that off-spinner Niraj Shah achieved the breakthrough, and by that time the Jersey total had reached 122 – the second century partnership registered by Gough and Carlyon during the tournament.

It was Gough who was first to go, dancing down the pitch to the spinner and being comprehensively stumped by Roopnarine. He had made 65 off 110 balls, with four boundaries.

Carlyon followed 11 runs later, backing up and being run out by a direct hit from Masood Mohamed. His 45 came off 88 balls and included three fours.

Ryan Driver now joined skipper Matthew Hague, and they put on 37 in eight overs, maintaining the momentum despite Shah's consistent spell, well supported by Lennox Cush and then by Imran, who was rewarded with Hague's wicket when the Jersey captain was bowled for 25.

Imran had further success when he bowled Andy Dewhurst, and with Massiah switching his attack in the final overs Cush got rid of Robert Minty in the 47th over with the total on 187.

This left Jersey with something to do, but Driver and Jonathan Gough batted so enterprisingly in the last three overs that they added a further 33 runs, Driver finishing with 28 from 37 balls and Gough with 19 from 15.

Shah and Imran were the least expensive of the American bowlers, each going for 37 from his ten overs.

The Americans needed to make a good start in their reply, and Sushil Nadkarni and Orlando Baker began purposefully, Nadkarni belting Driver for a massive six over midwicket as early as the fifth over.

Baker was out in Chris Jones's next over, brilliantly caught by Tony Carlyon at second slip. Massiah got off the mark with a straight six, but in Driver's next Nadkarni was trapped leg-before, leaving the USA on 31 for two.

Massiah followed two overs later, well caught by keeper Bob Minty, and it was 32 for three.

Driver and Jones were both bowling a great line, and thoroughly deserved their wickets, while the Americans were suddenly faced with a task they had not previously encountered in the tournament.

They continued to punish the loose ball, but the Jersey bowlers allowed them precious few of those, and it came as little surprise when Lennox Cush became Driver's third victim with the total on 63.

Rashard Marshall and Adita Thyagajaran contributed the highest partnership of the innings, adding 36 for the fifth wicket, but it took them ten overs to do it, with Tony Carlyon and then Hague keeping up the pressure.

Marshall hit a couple of big sixes, but then he lashed Hague straight to Steve Carlyon at backward point and was out for 39, made off 66 balls.

That was effectively the end of the story, and although the remaining batsmen did their best, Hague worked his way through the lower order, finishing with five for 38.

The end came in the 39th over, with the total on 136.

It was a splendid disciplined performance from the hosts, who batted, bowled and fielded with more conviction than their opponents. They thoroughly deserved their place in the final, where they will take on Afghanistan, winners of the other semi-final.

But the real prize is a place in the Division 4 tournament in Tanzania in October, where they will take on Fiji, Hong Kong, Italy and the hosts. Such is the changing face of Associates and Affiliates cricket.