BUTTLER SERVICE
Jos delivers for Eoin as skipper tops ton
JOS BUTTLER hailed tonup “pioneer” Eoin Morgan before his brutal hitting steered England to a 2-1 series lead over India.
Skipper Morgan won his 100th T20 cap in the eight-wicket win and admitted to being close to tears after Buttler’s words at the pre-game presentation.
“It nearly brought me to tears,” said Morgan, after his side cruised home to their target of 157 with 10 balls to spare.
“Playing in 100 games is a proud moment for me, but just the words that he said really did warm my heart.”
And Buttler, who smashed an unbeaten 83 from 52 balls, revealed the high regard he has for his captain when he said: “I just tried to get across what a special achievement it is to be the first English men’s player to get 100 caps.
“He has been a pioneer for English white-ball cricketers. He’s always been ahead of the curve, firstly as a player and now as a captain and a leader.
“Morgs is a selfless guy and he’s taken English white-ball cricket to a place it’s never been before.”
Buttler put an end to the debate over his role as a T20 opener with a clinical matchwinning innings.
He even out-skilled, outplayed and outgunned Virat Kohli’s innings of brilliance to put England within one win of a series victory.
As has been the case all series, England won the toss and batted second, suggesting a little too much is riding on the flip of a coin.
But Buttler’s performance was simply sublime. Backing up the opening salvos from Mark Wood and Jofra Archer with the ball to restrict India to 156-6, Buttler and Jonny Bairstow put the game to bed at a canter with 10 balls to spare.
And from the flicks to the scoops to the reverse sweeps and the powerful drives into the empty stands, this was a T20 masterclass.
Buttler has so much ability some would like to see him used as a middleorder dasher to turn a good score into a winning one, or finish a run chase.
Here he showed why sending him out to face as many balls as possible could be the best idea Morgan has had. “I was delighted after a first-baller last game,” he said.
“It is my preference to bat there in T20.”
If it wasn’t for Kohli’s brilliance in taking Wood’s final over for 17 and putting his foot down at the death to hit
77 not out, it would have been over at half-time.
But thankfully for England and Morgan, on the occasion of his century of caps, Buttler was there to make the presentation and then deliver the goods.
XISCO MUNOZ is proof that Watford’s hire and fire policy can work, as his promotion juggernaut made it eight wins out of nine.
No other Championship manager can match Munoz’s 12 league victories since the Spaniard replaced Vladimir Ivic at Christmas, to become the Hornets’ fifth permanent head coach in 15 months.
It has worked a treat for Watford and they remain on track for a Premier League return.
Munoz said: “It was an amazing performance, our form right now is brilliant.
“But we have been together for just over two months and I know we can play even better.”
Rotherham boss Paul Warne is self-isolating and the game was over for his side inside 39 minutes as the visitors raced into a 3-0 lead.
It was the Millers’ first game in 13 days after a Covid outbreak and Watford capitalised to inflict a sixth defeat in seven games.
Rotherham began brightly before Francisco Sierralta headed home for
Watford from Philip Zinckernagel’s cross. Zinckernagel was a real threat on the left and also had a hand in his side’s second in the 26th minute. Nathaniel Chalobah’s shot from his cross was parried by Jamal Blackman and Ismaila Sarr slotted home. Ken Sema then volleyed in from the edge of the area to make it 3-0.
Daniel Bachmann had little to do in the Hornets goal before he brilliantly saved a penalty from Michael Smith (inset) on 61 minutes. Freddie Lapado did pull one back with a fine 25-yard strike in the 68th minute but Dan Gosling tapped home to make it 4-1. Rotherham have only had one training session in the last 13 days and assistant manager Richie Barker said: “It wasn’t ideal to come back after one day’s training to play an ex-premier League team.”
WAYNE ROONEY pulled off a substitution mas- terclass to hold up Brentford’s push for promotion.
It looked plain sailing for the Bees who were 2-0 up at half-time and cruising.
But it clearly gave Rooney the hump.
His side had not managed a single shot on target so he decided to do something about it and brought on three subs at once.
And two of them – Lee Gregory and Louie Sibley – underlined what a great move it was with goals to snatch two points from Brentford’s grasp.
Gregory scored from close
DERBY BRENTFORD
range just 90 seconds after coming on and Sibley saved the best for last with a cracking 86th-minute equaliser.
It looked like Ivan Toney was going to get just what he wanted for his birthday – his 27th goal of the season to keep Brentford’s promotion push on track.
The Bees striker celebrated his 25th birthday and it was all going sweetly until Derby suddenly decided to end almost seven hours without a goal. When Toney netted an eighth-minute penalty, things were already starting to look tough for a County side without a win in four games.
So when Sergi Canos (inset, above) doubled the Bees’ lead midway through the first half, the chances of Derby getting back in it looked bleak.
The visitors could easily have gone in at the break four goals to the good.
Toney sent Kelle Roos the wrong way from the spot after Bryan Mbuemo was fouled by Lee Buchanan.
Mbuemo then blasted a great chance wide and Vitaly Janelt could also have made it 3-0 on the stroke of half-time but seemed to lose his footing just at the key moment.
It was tame stuff from the home side and even Rooney, the most prolific England striker of all time, must have wondered how he was going to inject a goal threat into his side.
He showed exactly what he felt about things by gambling with a triple switch and it paid dividends.
Suddenly they looked like a side capable of posing an attacking threat. Brentford got edgy when Gregory stabbed home and it was no more than Derby deserved when Sibley curled in a left-footer from the edge of the box.
ANDREAS CHRISTENSEN says Thomas Tuchel’s plan to turn things around at Chelsea is running like clockwork without his players even having to think about it.
The Blues are unbeaten in 12 games under Tuchel and face Atletico Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League tonight with a 1-0 lead after the first leg.
Christensen, 24, believes he and his team-mates are so well-drilled by Tuchel and his staff they could execute his instructions with their eyes closed.
The Denmark defender said: “It’s just being very, very clear in what they want and if they want something different, they’re going to let you know.
“They’re not beating around the bush – they know how they want it, there’s a plan. Even what we do in training, the exercises and stuff, you might not feel it but in your subconscious the message is coming through.
“It’s a weird thing but it just works. Developing habits without you even probably knowing it’s happening.
“It’s a good feeling and I don’t think we’re done yet. We’re still learning and building as a team, we all know that.
“We are definitely moving in the right direction and that’s what’s most important right now.”
Chelsea are playing a high tempo counter-pressing game under Tuchel and have not conceded a goal in five games by defending front the front.
Christensen said: “That’s important. The back three have got a massive responsibility to push the team up. The striker is only the first defender and that’s what is great about the team now.
“We are working hard together and we want to win the ball high. That’s when people express themselves more.
“We’ve been working hard, with a high press and sometimes suffering together if we have to.
“It’s inevitable with the players we have that they’re always going to have their moments, with the skills and the talent that we’ve got.
“As we get better and better as a team, people are going to express themselves in every way they can.
“We can look forward to that more.
“As a defender, when you work hard as a team it makes it easier and the back three are praising the work they do up front a lot because a lot of the time we don’t have to do anything if they win the ball high.”
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