THE BUTTLER DID IT!
Jos proves he’s a lethal weapon in victory
ENGLAND’S white-ball juggernaut cranked into life, crushing Sri Lanka in the first T20 of the summer.
There might only have been 3,000 fans allowed into Sophia Gardens but they were treated to a typically brutal takedown of a target courtesy of Jos Buttler and Jason Roy.
Despite their post-ipl quarantine and breaks at home with family, there was no sign of any rustiness in the way the pair set about their business.
The opening duo took the biggest bite out of the meagre 130-run target by putting on 80 in nine overs before Roy was caught at mid-off for 36.
Buttler hardly noticed as he then deposited the ball into the River Taff on his way to 68 not out.
England captain Eoin Morgan said: “It’s quite a comprehensive performance. Our bowlers have made us look extremely good today.
“Roy and Buttler laid that platform for us to kick on, and Jos just showed his class with the masterclass he provided today.”
With Adil Rashid picking up 2-17 from his four overs with the ball, the men England will be leaning on heaviest to try to win the T20 World Cup in October are showing just why that is the case.
Although this wasn’t exactly the stiffest of challenges.
Sri Lanka are ranked eighth in the world in T20 cricket, so a visit to the
No.1-ranked side’s back yard was always likely to be a mismatch and so it proved.
The strength in depth England have in this kind of cricket remains, so in stepped Chris Woakes in his first T20 international since 2015 and Lancashire’s Liam Livingstone.
Woakes’ 0-14 and Livingstone’s 1-9 across the five overs they bowled between them gave Morgan the control he wanted.
It took until the 11th over for Sri Lanka to hit a six, while their tally of seven boundaries was surpassed by Buttler and Roy inside the powerplay.
Dasun Shanaka at least gave the target something of a lift with 50 exactly, while skipper Kusal Perera made 30, but it was never going to be enough.
Ahead of today’s second T20 at the same ground, Sri Lanka captain Perera said: “We didn’t get enough runs on the board. We are backing our batting but the middle order collapsed.”