Jos Buttler: England keeper seeks redemption with Lancashire in T20 Blast quarters
Until Thursday, Alex Hales stood alone as the only English batter to score 13,000 runs in T20 cricket. That changed at Headingley, where Jos Buttler led the Lancashire batting charge against hosts Yorkshire in their final home game of the T20 Blast, becoming the second Englishman to reach the milestone in the shortest format.
Playing an entertaining knock of 77 off 46 balls, Buttler fashioned a comfortable 21-run win for Lancashire as the James Anderson-inspired side retained the top spot in the North Group. Dishing out the match-winning performance with the willow, the England wicketkeeper-batter notched up his season-best score in the Roses clash at Headingley.
A Buttler masterclass secured Lancashire’s berth in the quarter-finals of the elite T20 competition. The batting blitz from Buttler was followed by Anderson’s impressive figures of 3 for 25 as hosts Yorkshire folded for 153 in 19.1 overs. Reflecting on Lancashire’s T20 Blast campaign, Buttler said the Manchester heavyweights have consistently lived up to expectations in the shortest format of the game.
However, the seasoned campaigner also admitted that Lancashire’s consistency has not translated into enough titles in recent years. The 34-year-old stressed the importance of seizing key moments, with the upcoming quarter-finals marking their next big opportunity.
Can Lancashire break Finals Day drought?
“It’s a big club and has been performing well in terms of wins. Obviously, you want to get your hands on the trophy. Same for every other team. It’s difficult to do. Hopefully, we can get through the quarterfinals and give ourselves a chance in the final. To be completely honest, I have played in a lot of finals and lost a lot of them. Which is disappointing, so to win any final means a lot. Need a lot of things to go your way. You need to be playing good cricket. In T20 cricket, you need a little bit of luck. And hopefully, we can give ourselves a good chance,” Buttler said.
Lancashire’s T20 Blast record: One title, many missed chances
Lancashire have punched their knockout tickets 18 times since the T20 Blast began in 2003. Despite their consistency, Lancashire’s only T20 Blast title came back in 2015. A decade on from Lancashire's T20 Blast title win, only Buttler and Liam Livingstone remain at Old Trafford from the championship-winning squad.
Buttler has smashed 239 runs in seven outings for Lancashire this season. After topping the North Group and picking 36 points from 14 matches, Lancashire have set a date with Kent in the last eight of the T20 Blast. The former champions will host Kent at Old Trafford on 6 September.