The Butler blast in desert

By Ehsan Qureshi in UAE 

  (Pakistan News & Features Services)

The pitches in the ongoing T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), particularly in Sharjah, have not been conducive to free flowing batsmen and they have had to exercise greater caution in taking the bowlers to the cleaners. 

England, having won their previous three matches, had their backs to the wall at the halfway stage of their innings against Sri Lanka on November 2 and they were expected to be contained to below par total. 

But there was a man in the middle by the name of Jos Butler who thought otherwise. Butler is known for playing big shots but the manner he constructed and finished his knock was well and truly spectacular to say the least. 

Yes he went on to complete the most incredible of centuries on the final of the innings and it was a maximum. His unbeaten century provided England enough runs to bowl out the Sri Lankans despite the dew factor. 

Although the England bowlers also played their role in taking their side to fourth successive win, the night belonged to Butler. Quite deservedly he was adjudged as Man of the Match for his sparkling century. 

Butler remained undefeated on 101 off 67 balls which didn’t look all that amazing but the fact that he enabled England to add 116 in the last 10 overs after collecting only 47 in the first 10 was more significant in turning the game around. 

He showed once more how to trust one's own abilities. He refrained from taking risks when the situation demanded of him to show restraint. Once his eyes were set and he had measured the bowling, there was no stopping him. It was one of the best T20 knocks to have been played under pressure. 

Butler’s terrific batting made amends for the ordinary performances of other power hitters in the England ranks and he will indeed be considered one of the major threats for the opponents in the upcoming knockout games.