Jos Buttler delivers again as England’s T20 talisman

The opener again guided England to a big win at this World Cup with his first-ever T20 international century key to the victory over Sri Lanka

Jos Buttler celebrates his hundred (Getty Images)

Another day, another masterclass of white-ball batting from Jos Buttler.

And while the bludgeoning, battering unbeaten 71 against Australia on Saturday was all about the hitting, this match-winning knock against Sri Lanka on Monday evening centred on the hard yards.

At halfway, after being stuck in for the first time in the tournament, England were bogged down and struggling for fluency at 43 for three after 10 overs. Buttler, known for his explosive starts at the top of the order, had just 24 runs off 30 balls.

But ably assisted by captain Eoin Morgan, England's talisman rallied and as both at last came to terms with the tricky Sharjah surface playing on it for the first time, the Buttler fans came to see came to play.

After taking 45 balls to get his first 50 runs, the next 51 came off just 22 and a quite brilliant 101 not out guided England to a total of 163 and - ultimately - a 26-run win that all but seals their place in the semi-finals.

The ton was - inexplicably for a player of his class - a first in international T20s for Buttler and in turn makes him only the second player and the first male to record centuries in all three formats of the game for England.

"It's something I'll look back on at some point," Buttler said of matching Heather Knight's historic mark before going on to praise his team's fielding effort in bowling Sri Lanka all out, which included a crucial run-out from himself.

"I think there will be a few more guys who achieve that feat as well. But just looking at what it means for the team and for us in the competition, it means way more.

"I think the run out at the time was the best feeling on the field. We showed great character in the field, the conditions were tough, losing a bowler, guys stepping up, there was some great pieces of fielding.

"The level we have set in the field has been great throughout this tournament, we've saved a number of runs, we've created chances. That shows the selfless attitude of the group. The fielding is one thing you do for the team.

"The three matches before we've done what we wanted to do so here to be on the worse end of the conditions and to show the character we did, what it will do for us as a side is fantastic."

Buttler brilliantly ran out Dasun Shanaka to help England to victory (AP)

Buttler now has more than 1,000 runs as an opener in T20 World Cups at an average north of 60 and a strike rate of 149.1.

He is basically the perfect one-day batsman with the ideal blend of doggedness to plug away when things aren't quite right but also the power to make the opposition pay when it all eventually clicks into place.

Buttler's century came courtesy of a last-ball maximum after he deposited Dushmantha Chameera's low full toss deep over the leg-side boundary for six.

"I was just trying to remain calm and hope that he missed his yorker," Buttler added. "I was a bit unsure where he was going to bowl but I'd been at the wicket for a long time.

"It was a fantastic feeling to get that ball away for six and get to a hundred. Hopefully there are still more good days to come but I certainly enjoyed this."

Buttler's heroics rightly took the headlines but the performance of Morgan alongside him will give England fans almost as much pleasure.

The skipper's place in the side has come into question in recent months after a fallow run of form with the bat but a much-needed 40 off 36 balls in a 112-run partnership alongside Buttler proved crucial to England's cause.

"I thought he played fantastically well," Buttler added. "The position he bats in in T20 cricket - form's a bit of a myth but I think he showed an immense amount of character, he was very patient, he soaked up the balls and gave himself enough time to get used to conditions and we managed to put together a great partnership.

"It's never easy coming in when we've lost wickets early on and there's plenty of the game to go but I think he certainly enjoyed getting a few out the middle here and we're all delighted when we see him play that way."