Sharjah [UAE], November 1 (ANI): Jos Buttler smashed his maiden ton before England displayed an all-round performance to defeat Sri Lanka by 26 runs in the Super 12 match of the T20 World Cup here at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Monday. England scored 163 in 20 overs and then restricted Sri Lanka to 137 to register their fourth win in four games in the tournament. Chasing 164, Sri Lanka got off to a worst possible start as they lost opener Pathum Nissanka in the first over. Charith Asalanka and Kusal Perera also departed in the powerplay reducing Sri Lanka to 34/3 in 5.1 overs. Adil Rashid dimissed both batsmen as Sri Lanka looked clueless during the chase. Avishka Fernando and Bhanuka Rajapaksa tried to score some runs but soon departed leaving Sri Lanka reeling at 76/5. Wanindu Hasaranga and skipper Dasun Shanaka then stitched a 53-run stand for Sri Lanka but tight fielding and super bowling in the death overs saw the Asian side falling 27-run short. Earlier, put into bat first, England got off to a bad start but Jos Buttler masterclass helped the side reach 163/4 in the 20 overs. Buttler slammed a blistering ton as England scored 163 after a bad start. The Eoin Morgan-led side scored 116 runs in the final 10 overs courtesy of Buttler’s first hundred in the T20Is. England were reduced to 35/3 but Buttler and Morgan stitched a 112-run stand for the fourth wicket to revive the innings. Brief Scores: England 163/4 (Jos Buttler 101, Morgan 40; Hasaranga 3-21) vs Sri Lanka 137/10 (Wanindu Hasaranga 34, Bhanuka Rajapaksa 26; Moeen Ali 2-15)
T20 WC: It’s a privilege to have Buttler in England squad, says Morgan
England skipper Eoin Morgan lavished praise on Jos Buttler and said it’s a “privilege” to have the wicket-keeper batter in the team. Buttler smashed his maiden ton before England displayed an all-round performance to defeat Sri Lanka by 26 runs in the Super 12 match of the T20 World Cup here at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Monday. “I am incredibly proud of everything we have done tonight. The guys had to fight incredibly hard. Conditions here continued to change, Tymal going out asked another question of ourselves. But Livingstone and Moeen stepped up exceptionally well with the other guys,” said Morgan after the win. “I can’t fault our guys tonight. I thought Jos Buttler played one off his best-ever innings in an England shirt. It was incredible to be at the other end and watch. He is one of the best in the game and it’s a privilege to have him in our team,” he added. England scored 163 in 20 overs and then restricted Sri Lanka to 137 to register their fourth win in four games in the tournament. The England skipper also praised the team’s fielding and gave a special mention to Buttler for his accurate throws. “All-round fielding effort was good. We are delighted with the four wins. Combination of unbelievable skill level and the calm nature in which he goes about it – he combines them along with reading the game. To see him in this form in the group stages bodes well for the latter stages,” said Morgan. “You always got to believe, I always do (on getting back to form). Today was a tougher test. We were enjoying ourselves. Just to get a partnership going and put something on the board to defend,” he added.
