England effectively in T20 World Cup semis after Buttler blitz

Monday, 1 November 2021 21:55

By Reuters

Twenty20 World Cup favourites England effectively sealed a place in the semi-finals after Jos Buttler's century fashioned a 26-run victory against Sri Lanka in their Group I match on Monday.

Put in to bat, England's batting looked under pressure for the first time in the tournament but Buttler's unbeaten 101 off 67 balls fired them to a strong 163-4 in Sharjah.

Sri Lanka were 137 all out in 19 overs, threatening to pull off an upset at one stage, but Eoin Morgan's team went on to notch up their fourth victory in as many matches to consolidate their position as group leaders.

Former champions England are bidding to become the first team to hold the 20- and 50-overs World Cups at the same time.

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