Buttler leads England’s rout of Australia in T20
BIRMINGHAM: Explosive batting from Jos Buttler, who hit England’s fastest twenty20 halfcentury, helped Eoin Morgan’s side overwhelm Australia by 28 runs at Edgbaston, the touring side’s ninth successive loss in all forms of cricket.
England oozed confidence after its 50 oneday international whitewash over Australia and promoted Buttler, one of the chief architects of that triumph, in this oneoff game to make full use of the
27yearold’s powerful shotmaking.
The result is normally the same wherever he bats and Buttler carried on where he left off last week, thumping a 22ball halfcentury as England piled up 221 for five, just nine short of its T20 record.
‘‘It feels a small ground and it’s a belting wicket,’’ Buttler, who hit five sixes in his 61, said.
Jason Roy (44) helped Buttler put on 95 for the first wicket before Alex Hales (49) and Joe Root (35) kept up the momentum and Jonny Bairstow rounded off the innings with a huge six.
Kane Richardson’s four overs cost 59, the secondhighest number of runs conceded by an Australian bowler in T20s.
Although Australia is ranked No 2 in the world — three places above England — and came into the game following six T20 wins, it struggled to match the home side’s huge total until an 86run partnership between captain Aaron Finch and Ashton Agar put England under pressure.
But with the run rate continuing to edge up, Finch was caught on the boundary by Chris Jordan off a slower ball from Adil Rashid for a 41ball 84.
That left the touring side needing 64 from 28 balls and its last hope disappeared when Jordan bowled Agar for a 23ball 29 before they were all out for 193 in the final match of a disappointing tour. — Reuters