Jos Buttler is savouring the feeling of leading England to victory once more after shaking off the ring rust with a blistering 83 off 45 balls against the West Indies in Barbados.
England’s white-ball captain blazed six sixes – muscling one onto the roof of the Three Ws stand – and eight fours to underpin an eight-wicket win as his side went 2-0 up in the five-match T20 series.
Buttler took just three singles off his first 10 balls in his second innings since a four-month lay-off with a troublesome calf injury, getting off the mark with a bottom edge that narrowly missed leg stump.
Having made a golden duck 24 hours earlier in the series opener, Buttler never looked back after taking four fours and a six off his next half-dozen balls as England overhauled a chase of 159 in 14.5 overs.
“When you’ve not played for a while, I think it’s good for me,” Buttler said. “To be honest, a few years ago, I broke my finger and didn’t play for a bit, so it’s really refreshing (to be back).
“I haven’t played for four months, I wasn’t expecting to come out and middle it from ball one. I certainly felt a bit scratchy early on but I managed to get through that bit.
“As soon as I got one out the middle, I felt a lot more comfortable. I really enjoyed it. It was a really good performance from the team and great to be back scoring runs in an England win.
“(The Kensington Oval) is obviously a great place to play cricket, there was a good crowd, lots of English travelling support. It was very special.”
Buttler has elected to give up the wicketkeeping gloves and drop down to number three despite having one of the best records in world cricket as a T20 opener, averaging 47.19 with a 153.1 strike rate.
But Buttler was at the crease for the second delivery of England’s reply after the Windies had made 158 for eight when Phil Salt, England’s match-winning centurion on Saturday, got a first baller of his own.
Buttler put on 129 in 72 balls with Will Jacks, who contributed 38 off 29 deliveries, before the pair fell in the same over. But Liam Livingstone’s 23 off 11 balls got England over the line.
“I’ve played all over the order, it’s just something new for me and also to give Will Jacks the opportunity to open,” Buttler explained of his self-imposed demotion down the batting order.
“He’s done fantastically well in franchise cricket, it gives Salt and Jacks the chance to really attack and know I’m behind them. It’s only T20 cricket where I open, so it doesn’t feel too different at all.”
Saqib Mahmood, Liam Livingstone and Dan Mousley had earlier taken two wickets apiece after England won yet another important toss, with assistance for seamers and spinners alike when the Windies batted before conditions improved and the dew came down when the tourists got their reply underway.
Jofra Archer’s figures of 4-0-31-1 do not reflect how much of a handful he was when the ball was zipping around, with his only reward the wicket of Evin Lewis with a savage bouncer that brushed the glove through to Phil Salt.
Having played all three ODIs recently, Archer was rested from Saturday’s T20 opener but was restored to England’s XI following a knee injury to Reece Topley that is not as serious as first feared.
“We always expect so much from Jofra because of what he’s capable of,” Buttler added.
“But he’s not played cricket for a long time, so to now have put together a bit of a body of work, I’m sure he’s just feeling more and more confident every game. He bowled beautifully here.”
England travel to St Lucia on Monday knowing just one more victory in three matches on the island will seal the first T20 series triumph away from home in two years.
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