England and Sri Lanka are locking horns in a Super 12 round match of the T20 World Cup 2021 in Sharjah. England have won all three games of the tournament they played while Sri Lanka have won one and lost one.
Dasun Shanaka won the toss and elected to bowl first. Sri Lanka named an unchanged playing XI for this game and so did England, who stuck with the same team that won against Australia.
Also Read: Jos Buttler will play in Manchester Test, confirms Joe Root
Jason Roy and Jos Buttler came out to open the innings for England. Roy got out early to Wanindu Hasaranga in the second over for 9. Dawid Malan didn’t look like his usual self and perished to Dushmantha Chameera for 6. Jonny Bairstow registered a golden duck as Hasaranga trapped him in front of the wickets.
Buttler, however, was going strong from one end and found a good ally in Eoin Morgan. Both stitched together a 112-run stand and consolidate England’s position in the game.
Buttler scored his first fifty runs at a slow pace before unleashing his beast mode towards the death overs. He was on 87 when the last over began and was on 95 with three balls to go. After playing two dot balls, Buttler smashed a huge six to notch up the first T20I century of his career and this T20 World Cup as well.
Also Read: Jos Buttler is likely to miss the last two Test matches against India
It was Buttler’s unbeaten 101 and Morgan’s 40 runs that propelled England to 163/4 in 20 overs.
See how Twitter reacted to Buttler’s innings;
Last year Buttler spoke about learning from the way #WI target certain match-ups & absorb others. In that innings he scored 12 off 24 v spin & 89 v 43 v pace. He combined this Caribbean approach with 360 degree scoring & rapid running. Post-modern T20 batting. #T20WorldCup
— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) November 1, 2021
Seriously unbelievable @josbuttler! Tough pitch, targeted his bowlers and went hot at the end! Welcome to the hundred in all formats club 😉 #ENGvSL
— Heather Knight (@Heatherknight55) November 1, 2021
@josbuttler 🔥🔥🔥🔥 Special Player Big Fan 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
— Rashid Khan (@rashidkhan_19) November 1, 2021
That’s a seriously good knock by @josbuttler very well played and great to watch.
— David Warner (@davidwarner31) November 1, 2021
I know everyone's fed up of Buttler's numbers opening the batting in T20s for England but averaging 60.50 and striking at 149.17 is just insane
— Matt Roller (@mroller98) November 1, 2021
There isn't a better opening batsman in the world at the moment, in T20 cricket, than Jos Buttler
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) November 1, 2021
The first England men's cricketer with a T20I, ODI, and Test ton.
Of COURSE it's Joseph Charles Buttler.
A complete, utter, genius.#T20WorldCup
— Ben Jones (@benjonescricket) November 1, 2021
What makes Jos Buttler's maiden T20 international century so remarkable is the control and versatility he showed. There was rotation of strike, there was seeing off bowlers and there was some absolutely BRUTAL power hitting. A truly one of a kind cricketer. #ENGvSL #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/HaLcFTir3w
— Aatif Nawaz (@AatifNawaz) November 1, 2021
Jos Buttler brilliant, just brilliant
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) November 1, 2021
England (Playing XI): Jason Roy, Jos Buttler(w), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Eoin Morgan(c), Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Tymal Mills.
Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera(w), Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Avishka Fernando, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dasun Shanaka(c), Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Lahiru Kumara.