Sharjah, Nov 1: Jos Buttler smashed a magnificent 101 not out, his maiden international century in the shortest format, as England registered their fourth consecutive win, beating Sri Lanka by 26 runs in a Super 12 match to virtually seal a semifinal spot in the T20 World Cup here on Monday.
Buttler (101* off 67 balls) and skipper Eoin Morgan (40 off 36 balls) shared a century stand for the fourth wicket to take England to a challenging 163 for 4 after early setbacks.
Sent in to bat, England lost three wickets for 35 runs before Buttler and Morgan joined hands to stitch a crucial 112 runs that came off 78 balls.
Sri Lanka’s chase too started on a disappointing note as they lost their first three wickets with the scoreboard reading 34.
While Pathum Nissanka (1) was run out in the third ball of their innings, Kusal Perera (7) and Charith Asalanka (21) were undone by the guile of leg-spinner Adil Rashid (2/19), both caught after miscuing their shots.
The islanders lost another wicket after a brief 23-run stand between Avishka Fernando (13) and Bhanuka Rajapaksa (26) with Chris Jordan (2/24) catching the former plumb in front of the wicket in the ninth over.
Needing 98 off the last 10 overs, Rajapaksa tried to up the ante, hitting Chris Woakes for a six and boundary in consecutive balls. But he departed in the next ball in search of one boundary too many, caught by Jason Roy.
Wanindu Hasaranga (34) and skipper Dasun Shanaka (26) stitched 53 runs for the sixth wicket to keep Sri Lanka afloat. But Liam Livingstone broke the partnership, dismissing the dangerous-looking Hasaranga in the 17th over to tilt the match in England’s favour.
The Sri Lankan tail searched for big hits but found the safe hands of the English fielders to be bowled out for 137 in 19 overs.
Earlier, Buttler decorated his innings with six boundaries and as many sixes. England batters took Sri Lanka’s bowlers to task in the last five overs, scoring 58 runs and losing just a wicket. (PTI)
