Manchester: England white-ball captain Jos Buttler expressed delight over how his bowlers came out with the new ball to ensure a 118-run victory for the hosts over South Africa in the second ODI at Old Trafford.
Chasing 202 in a 29-over-a-side clash after a lengthy rain interruption, England reduced South Africa to six for four wickets inside the first four overs before Adil Rashid (3/29) and Moeen Ali (2/22) ran through the rest of the batting order, bowling them out for 83 to level the three-match series 1-1.
“It’s great for us to get the win. I’m delighted with the way we came out with the ball, those early wickets really put us on our way. The guys continue to try and play in the fashion that we want to as a team,” said Buttler after the match.
England’s incredible victory meant that the third ODI will be a mouthwatering series decider at Headingley on Sunday. Buttler is now eager that England put up a strong show again to clinch the ODI series against the Proteas. “Can we do it better? Absolutely. But, again, having that mindset and positivity got us up to a score that now looks great.
“We know we can improve, but that will consistently be the message. We haven’t quite fired with the bat the whole summer so far in white-ball cricket, but we know how dangerous we will be when we do.”
Buttler’s predecessor, former England captain Eoin Morgan felt Buttler will be a happy man after seeing his team function in the aggressive style the side has been known for in last five-six years.
“Jos Buttler will be smiling as big as he can. He is desperate for the guys to continue on playing an aggressive brand. We thought we would see it in abundance with the bat, but the way they’ve bowled and defended an under-par score is as good a day as he could have asked for.”
–IANS