Buttler onslaught fires England into semis

• SL semi hopes hanging by a thread; need Aus and SA to lose remaining games

By Champika Fernando in Sharjah  

Sri Lanka let a hard-earned early advantage slip, handing England a semi-final spot with their fourth straight win in the Super 12s stage of the T20 World Cup here at the Sharjah Cricket ground last night.

After the Sri Lankan bowlers had frustrated the batters with a mesmerising bowling effort in the first half of England’s batting, reducing them to 47/3, England, led by Jos Buttler, produced one of the great counterattacks to prove why they are considered one of the favourites to clinch the title.

After their batters had set the platform, scoring 163 runs for loss of four wickets, their famed bowling attack led by legspinner Adil Rashid (2/19), and Moeen Ali at the death, (2/15) pegged Sri Lanka back despite having to deal with heavy levels of dew.

The defeat left Sri Lanka almost certain to exit the tournament at the end of the first round – even if they win their last game against West Indies on 4 November in Abu Dhabi, they need Australia and South Africa to both lose their remaining games.

In form Charith Asalanka (21) and Bhanuka Rajapaksa (26) played well after Pathum Nissanka, who hit a career-best 72 against South Africa, ran himself out trying to steal a run off the third ball of the chase. Kusal Perera meanwhile continued his awful form offering Rashid his first wicket, skying one to extra cover.

Sri Lanka scored 66 runs for the loss of four wickets in the first 10 overs, needing 98 to win in the next half of their innings. Skipper Dasun Shanaka and Wanindu Hasaranga kept Sri Lanka in the hunt briefly, sharing 55 runs for the sixth wicket, but once they were dismissed in the space of four deliveries, the writing was on the wall. Hasaranga (34) top scored for Sri Lanka but by trying to press the accelerator, he offered a catch to wide long-on where Jason Roy ran to his left and took the catch before flicking to Billings who was coming over from cover sweeper. Shanaka, who was the only hope Sri Lanka had in chasing the total with 34 required off the last 17 balls, ran himself out attempting a run, and signalled the final nail in their coffin.

Earlier, after putting England to bat first, Sri Lanka did everything right in the field, containing the free scoring batters with an excellent bowling effort during the first half of England’s innings.

They collected 36 runs off the power play overs, losing three wickets – that of Jason Roy, Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow – cheaply as the Sri Lankan skipper deployed his best bowlers to put the Englishmen under tremendous pressure. If the first six overs were good, the next four were magical, as they conceded just 11 runs as England were restricted to 47 runs in the halfway mark of their innings, as the batters struggled either to find the boundary or to rotate the strike against some disciplined bowling.

Hasaranga bamboozled Roy with his second delivery of the match, castling his middle stump when the batter attempted to sweep, the strike bowler being brought into the attack as early as the second over.

Dushmantha Chameera removed Malan with a low stump rattler when Malan attempted to punch though the covers but was beaten on the inside edge to the stumps. Bairstow was sent back to the dressing first ball when Hasaranga trapped him leg-before as England slipped to 35 for 3.

It was then rebuilding time for the Englishmen as they approached the next four overs with caution, giving enough respect to a pumped-up Sri Lankan attack, before setting the track on fire with some clean hits all around the ground to take them to a formidable total.

Their total of 163 was built on another masterclass from Jos Buttler, who followed up his unbeaten 71 against Australia with a maiden hundred to remain unbeaten on 101.

The swashbuckling batter was involved in an incredible 112 run partnership with captain Eoin Morgan for the fourth wicket before Hasaranga picked his third scalp of the match by castling Morgan with a googly when Morgan attempted to slog sweep him. Morgan was Hasaranga’s 50th T20 international wicket.

It was probably the most uniquely constructed partnership, leaving it late to unleash their fury when the Sri Lankan bowlers had done enough to contain them. Buttler dealt ruthlessly with the Sri Lankan seamers as the spin duo of Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana (0/13 in 4 overs) bowled tightly, making it hard even for Buttler and Morgan to free their arms.

Lahiru Kumara, who had given away just 22 runs off his first three overs was hammered for 22 runs in his fourth, including three sixes – two from Buttler and one from Morgan – to finish with none for 44.

Chameera conceded 43 while skipper Shanaka was smashed for 19 runs in his second over, including two sixes and a boundary hit by Buttler, as England scored 58 off the last five overs for the loss of just Morgan.

The wicket-keeper batter needed 13 runs in the final over to reach his maiden century and he did that in style off the last ball of the innings, sending a low full toss from Chameera over the deep cover ropes to end his onslaught – the only misstep in his knock was when a tough chance was dropped three balls prior. His unbeaten 101 included six sixes and as many boundaries.