Images from the T20 World Cup Super 12s match between England and Sri Lanka, in Sharjah, on Monday.
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Opener Jos Buttler scored a scintillating hundred to rally England after the loss of three early wickets to an imposing 163 for 4 against Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup Super12s match, in Sharjah, on Monday.
It was only fitting that he got to the milestone with a six off the final delivery of the innings.
The unbeaten 101 off 67 balls is the 31-year-old batter’s highest individual score in T20 international cricket and the first century in the ongoing edition of the World Cup.
Buttler becomes the first England men’s international to score a century in all three formats – T20I, ODI and Test cricket.
He and skipper Eoin Morgan (40 off 36) shared a a crucial 112 runs partnership for the fourth wicket off 78 balls as England fought back from a precarious position.
Wandindu Hasaranga was the pick of the Sri Lanka bowlers, with three wickets for 21 runs off his four overs.
In the process he became the fifth-fastest bowler to bag 50 T20I wickets.
In search of a fourth straight victory in the Super 12 stage, after easily beating the West Indies, Bangladesh and Australia, England were under pressure for the first time in the tournament after being put in to bat.
They lost three wickets in the Powerplay and were reduced to 47 for 3 after 10 overs before Buttler and captain Morgan set about rebuilding the innings.
Jason Roy went on the offensive from the start as England got 12 runs from the opening over. But Wanindu Hasaranga dismissed him, skidding a googly under his attempted sweep. Roy was out for 9 off 6 deliveries and England were 13 for 1 after two deliveries in the second over.
Dawid Malan, in at three, had a close call on six, when an inside-edge off Dushmantha Chameera fell fractionally short of the ‘keeper. But the top-ranked batter in T20I cricket was out to the next delivery, playing all around a peach of an in-swinger, leaving England reduced to 33 for 2 at the end of the fifth over.
The decision to bring back Hasaranga for a second over in the Powerplay reaped rewards as Jonny Bairstow came down the track to his first delivery and was struck on the pads.
Sri Lanka reviewed the decision and Bairstow was back, leaving England in trouble for the first time in the tournament.
Morgan struggled to get going through the middle overs but stuck with Buttler as the pair rebuilt towards the death, before England’s captain was dismissed by Hasaranga for 40 off 36 balls.
But it was all about Buttler in the back-end of the innings as England’s in-form opener blazed away, finishing with 12 boundaries and six maximums in his outstanding 101 not out.
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