Buttler produced a magnificent batting performance after England bowlers restricted Australia to 125 all-out
Jos Buttler produced a brutal exhibition of power-hitting during his unbeaten 32-ball 71 as England thumped Australia by eight wickets in a Group 1 Super 12 encounter on Saturday. With this win, Eoin Morgan’s men reaffirmed their status as the favourite and put one foot in the ICC Twenty20 World Cup semifinals.
Buttler and Jason Roy began the 126-run chase with trademark panache and aggression. They didn’t let the Australian quicks settle into any kind of rhythm. Buttler was severe on Mitchell Starc, mauling him for two consecutive sixes as England plundered 66 in the PowerPlay.
Adam Zampa trapped Roy lbw at the start of the seventh over but that didn’t deter Buttler, who continued his onslaught to reach his 50 off just 25 balls with a monstrous six. England lost Dawid Malan along the way but Buttler and Jonny Bairstow’s six-hitting spree took the Three Lions home with 50 balls to spare.
Earlier, fielding first, Morgan rang the right bowling changes. Aaron Finch’s struggle against leg-spin this year — he has got out seven times for an average of less than nine — meant England opened with Adil Rashid. After three dots, Finch struck a four. Chris Woakes shared the new ball and immediately had David Warner caught behind.
In the next over, Woakes took an acrobatic catch at mid-on to dismiss Steve Smith after the right-hander had mistimed a pull off Chris Jordan. Woakes embellished his spell in his second over, getting Glenn Maxwell out lbw. Maxwell reviewed but in vain.
On a pitch with some grass on it, Morgan used one over of spin inside the first six as Woakes bowled three on the trot for figures of 3-0-7-2. With Australia 21 for three after the PowerPlay, Rashid replaced Jordan and took a wicket off his first ball, trapping Marcus Stoinis in front with a googly. Meanwhile, Finch watched on as the batters at the other end sank in quicksand and Australia clawed to 41 for four in 10 overs.
With wickets falling regularly, Morgan held back Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone replaced Woakes. Wade hit a couple of boundaries before holing out to Roy at long-on off Livingstone.
Finch infused some life into the innings with two back-to-back boundaries off left-arm pacer Tymal Mills. He was supported by Ashton Agar, who struck two successive sixes off Woakes as 20 came off the over. Mills ended Agar’s stay and Finch fell to Jordan for 44 soon after. Cummins hit his first two balls for sixes before being castled by Jordan (three for 17). Starc hit a four and six as Australia scored 13 off the 20th. The total was anything but enough once Buttler got going.
Scorecard:
Australia Innings: David Warner c Jos Buttler b Chris Woakes 1 Aaron Finch c Bairstow b Chris Jordan 44 Steven Smith c Chris Woakes b Chris Jordan 1 Glenn Maxwell lbw b Chris Woakes 6 Marcus Stoinis lbw b Adil Rashid 0 Matthew Wade c Roy b Livingstone 18 Ashton Agar c Livingstone b Tymal Mills 20 Pat Cummins b Chris Jordan 12 Mitchell Starc c Jos Buttler b Tymal Mills 13 Adam Zampa run out (Jos Buttler/Tymal Mills) 1 Josh Hazlewood not out 0 Extras: (LB-6, W-3) 9 Total: (10 wkts, 20 Overs) 125 Fall of Wickets: 7-1, 8-2, 15-3, 21-4, 51-5, 98-6, 110-7, 110-8, 119-9, 125-10.
Bowler: Adil Rashid 4-0-19-1, Chris Woakes 4-0-23-2, Chris Jordan 4-0-17-3, Liam Livingstone 4-0-15-1, Tymal Mills 4-0-45-2.
England Innings: Jason Roy lbw b Zampa 22 Jos Buttler not out 71 Dawid Malan c Wade b Agar 8 Jonny Bairstow not out 16 Extras: (B-5, W-3, NB-1) 9 Total: (2 wkts, 11.4 Overs) 126 Fall of Wickets: 66-1, 97-2.
Bowler: Mitchell Starc 3-0-37-0, Josh Hazlewood 2-0-18-0, Pat Cummins 1-0-14-0, Ashton Agar 2.4-0-15-1, Adam Zampa 3-0-37-1.
