Buttler has reasons to be cheerful ahead of Cup opener
JOS Buttler took the positives from England’s last warm-up ahead of the T20 World Cup as several cameos helped them ease to a six-wicket win over Pakistan in Brisbane.
While this was an understated affair and not recognised as an official T20, with both sides able to select as many of their 15-strong squads as they wished, it was England who will walk away the happier.
Ben Stokes, who had underwhelming returns in the recent series win against Australia, showed flashes of his best with 36 off 18 balls, igniting England’s successful pursuit of 161 after they lost openers Phil Salt and Alex Hales cheaply – with Buttler and Dawid Malan deciding not to bat.
Liam Livingstone marked his return from an ankle injury by taking one for eight from two overs before thumping 28 off 16 balls in England’s chase, including one towering six that cleared the Gabba.
Harry Brook (45 not out off 24) and Sam Curran (33no off 14) then helped England to a commanding victory with 26 balls to spare, just five days before they start their World Cup against Afghanistan in Perth. “We just wanted to get certain things out of the game and we got all of those things,” said Buttler, whose side were helped by several fielding errors and dropped catches.
England used eight bowlers after electing to field first and only Chris Jordan completed his four-over quota. It was just the second match on his comeback from a broken finger and he showed his prowess at the back end of an innings by conceding two runs in the final over to finish with one for 36.
Meanwhile, Scotland claimed one of the greatest wins in their history as they beat the West Indies by 42 runs in Hobart.
George Munsey’s unbeaten 66 off 53 balls underpinned Scotland’s 160 for five after they lost the toss, with important cameos from Calum Macleod (23 off 14) and Chris Greaves (16 not out off 11).
The Windies raced to 53 for one but Evin Lewis was out from the
penultimate ball of the powerplay, the start of a dramatic collapse that saw the 2012 and 2016 winners lose seven wickets for 26 runs in 45 deliveries. It was the decisive moment in both sides’ opening Group B encounter, with Mark Watt, who finished with three for 12 from his four overs, shining as the Windies were rolled for 118 in 18.3 overs. Ireland’s top order crumbled as they kicked off
their campaign with a 31-run defeat to Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe made 174 for seven after being sent in at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval, a stiff total that proved beyond the boys in green as they finished on 143 for nine.
Having needed a strong start to give themselves a chance, Ireland crashed to 22 for four and effectively drifted to rank outsiders before the end of the powerplay. Josh Little had earlier taken three for 24, while there were two wickets apiece for Mark Adair and Simi Singh. But nobody could get to grips with Sikandar Raza, who hit five sixes and five fours in his decisive knock of 82.
We just wanted to get certain things out of the game and we got all of those things. Jos Buttler