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Jos Buttler and Mark Wood (Getty Images)
Jos Buttler did a brilliant 77 not like England hit Australia by six wickets for a series win at the second Twenty20 international in Southampton on Sunday.
The victory saw England take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in a three-game contest and they will replace Australia at the top of the T20 world rankings with another victory in Southampton on Tuesday.
England, with 158 points to win, finished 158-4 with seven balls to spare.
They needed 18 of the last two overs. Australia had failed to score 19 in two overs in a dramatic two-run loss in Game 1 on Friday.
But England got there with five balls from Adam Zampa, with Moeen Ali hitting a six and a four in successive deliveries of the leg-spinner.
Buttler finished the game with six in a row against Zampa.
Buttler faced just 54 balls, including eight fours and two sixes, for his highest score in a T20 international match, topping 73 without out against Sri Lanka at Southampton four years ago.
‘Quite complete’
The victory was created by bowlers from England, who held Australia to a modest 157-7 after the tourists won the draw.
“Pretty thorough, I can’t really criticize many facets of the game today,” England captain Eoin Morgan told Sky Sports after the game.
“We did a better bowling performance; we asked the guys to stand up for the first six overs and they did.
“Having a world-class player like Buttler, in the form that he is, makes the chase that much easier.”
Australia captain Aaron Finch acknowledged the quality of starter Buttler’s innings, saying, “When you can’t get one of the opposition starters out, who’s a great player, it’s always going to be tough.”
Finch added: “We were probably a few runs from where we needed to be, but I felt that if we could match his power play to ours with the ball, we would be in with one shot but we didn’t take enough ground in that span.”
Jofra Archer had David Warner trapped behind for a third-ball duck and Australia was 89-5 with seven overs to go before a late play gave them a ray of hope.
This series was intended to act as a warm-up for the October T20 World Cup in Australia.
But that tournament will not take place due to Covid-19, with the next T20 World Cup scheduled for India in 2021.
England lost Jonny Bairstow, Buttler’s initial partner, early in their pursuit. Swinging off a Mitchell Starc pull, Bairstow dropped his stumps and was out hit wicket for 19.
But Buttler, well supported by Dawid Malan (42) at an 87th spot in the second wicket, manipulated the field in style.
He drove skater Kane Richardson for six and deftly did a reverse sweep with Ashton Agar’s left arm for four.
England, who have struggled through the power play grounds, got off to a sensational start after missing the pitch when fast pitcher Archer, topping 90 mph on his first over, had the dangerous Warner trapped behind for nothing.
Warner immediately checked, but replays confirmed that he had put the ball on with gloves and Australia was nothing to one.
Australia was 3-2 in the second round, after left-hander Alex Carey, promoted to number three in place of star hitter Steve Smith, gave himself room to drive, but only outscored Mark Wood, like Archer in a World Cup. From 50 onwards he quickly beat a bowler, to goalie Buttler.
Smith took Tom Curran out for six, but England captain Eoin Morgan hit him straight in the armpit from midwicket with only one stump to aim for.
