One of the modern greats of white-ball cricket, Jos Buttler, achieved a huge milestone as he helped the Manchester Originals end their Hundred campaign on a high against the Northern Superchargers in Leeds on Tuesday.
One of the modern white-ball greats, Jos Buttler, ended his Hundred campaign on a high for the Manchester Originals, helping his side finish with a win against the Northern Superchargers in Leeds on Tuesday. Buttler smashed a match-winning 70 off just 37 balls and achieved a couple of T20 feats during his knock, in which he smashed seven fours and five sixes as the Originals chased down the target of 140 runs with 16 balls to spare, aided rather handsomely by Rachin Ravindra, who scored an unbeaten 47 off just 23 balls.
Buttler, who needed just one boundary to get to 1200 fours in T20 cricket, got that one off Jacob Duffy in the fifth set to reach the milestone. Buttler became only the fifth batter to hit 1200-plus fours in T20 cricket as he went on to hit six more for the day, closing in on Virat Kohli, who is just four ahead of him now.
Most fours in T20 cricket
1516 – Alex Hales (502 innings)
1417 – James Vince (438 innings)
1394 – David Warner (423 innings)
1210 – Virat Kohli (397 innings)
1206 – Jos Buttler (440 innings)
Buttler deservedly was adjudged the Player of the Match for his 70-run knock. It was the 42nd Player of the Match award for Buttler, joint-ninth highest in T20 cricket as he equalled AB de Villiers on the list.
Buttler hasn’t been in the greatest of forms in the Hundred but was glad to finish on a high, ruing what it could have been if a performance like that came earlier in the season. With the target not being a huge one, Buttler took some risks early on and just kept hitting as the Originals made short work of 140.
This was only the third win of the season for the Originals, but they ensured that they wouldn’t end up with the wooden spoon, while also securing a third-place finish for the Superchargers, who had attempted to finish in second place. The Superchargers will take on the Trent Rockets in the eliminator, aiming to reach the final.