Buttler: Series Is Very Much Alive

Jos Buttler believes England’s contest with Sri Lanka is very much alive as the visitors secured their first win of the seven-match series in the third one-day international at Hambantota yesterday.

Alastair Cook’s side finally overcame the hosts, with Buttler and Joe Root’s partnership of 84 seeing them to their 236 target and a win by five wickets under Duckworth/Lewis.

Having started well through openers Cook and Moeen Ali, England stuttered at 152 for five following the dismissals of Ravi Bopara for 6 and Eoin Morgan for 1.

Buttler then came to the crease to bludgeon a match-winning 55 off 37 balls, accompanied by Root on 48 not out, and see the tourists home.

And the Lancashire wicket-keeper felt a long-overdue win has given England confidence heading to the fourth international in Colombo, where they are 11/8 to bag a second consecutive victory.

“It was a great day for us, we really needed that win,” he said.

“It’s a huge confidence boost for everyone in the camp, it’s great to get over the line and the series is very much alive – we’ll all get a huge lift from today.

“Cooky and Mo got us off to a great start and we were going really well but we had a little bit of a blip in the middle.

“It’s really good to get a win and that’s a big moment for us.”