Jos Buttler is hoping England can deliver a knockout blow for Australia in the Champions Trophy at Edgbaston.
The Ashes rivals will square up for the second successive edition of the tournament, with England in the enviable position of knowing after their two Group A wins out of two so far that they have already booked a semi-final berth in Cardiff next Wednesday.
Before then, Australia will almost certainly need to beat Eoin Morgan’s hosts in Birmingham on Saturday to sneak a return to the same venue in the last four after their two washouts to date.
The tie is a repeat of the 2013 fixture, comfortably won by England on the way to that year’s final in a match better remembered for a vexed aftermath in which Australia opener David Warner ended up aiming a punch at Joe Root in a city-centre bar after a late-night misunderstanding between the two players.
Buttler, one of three survivors alongside Root and Morgan from England’s victory almost exactly four years ago, knows England can land a metaphorical but terminal shot this time.
Asked about the prospect of putting Australia out of the tournament, he said: “We won’t think too much about it … but it is always nice to know that would be the outcome if we did win.
“We now know we have qualified for the semi-finals, but we want to be going into a semi-final on the back of a win – and we’ll be desperate to do that on Saturday.”
What a team performance! pic.twitter.com/0XpZSZJZxs
— Joe Root (@root66) June 6, 2017
Whatever the consequences, Buttler confirms the stakes always rise against Australia.
“Of course they do – any England-Australia game is a huge game,” he said, promising too that the hosts will once again stick to the proactive tactics which have transformed their one-day international fortunes.”
“Both sides are very aggressive, attacking teams. We will not change our style of cricket. We’ll keep trying to take them on.”
“They’ve got some good pace bowlers, but we’ll try and be aggressive with the bat as well.”
We hit TEN sixes yesterday! #CT17
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 7, 2017
Which of these is your favourite?
🎥 https://t.co/p76UKB3eut pic.twitter.com/xBnXPs48Oe
It was also in Birmingham that Morgan’s England first unveiled their new ODI template of all-out attack at the first attempt after their miserable 2015 World Cup campaign, with centuries from Buttler and Root in a 210-run win over New Zealand.
Buttler added: “We’ve got some good memories of playing there. It’s a ground we like playing at – which is one of the advantages of being at home, isn’t it?”
“We have to make the most of that.”
The wicketkeeper was back in the runs with 61 not out in the 87-run win over the Kiwis in Cardiff on Tuesday which clinched a last-four place.
It was his second unbeaten half-century in four ODI innings this summer, after a winter run of seven attempts which brought him a top score of 31.
“I think maybe in the India and West Indies series I was short of runs,” he said.
“(But) Going away to the IPL I felt in fantastic form, and then since I have been back I have scored a couple of fifties in three or four games.”
His latest success was part of a highly-encouraging all-round demonstration of England’s credentials, featuring three half-centuries as they topped 300 for the 23rd time in their last 46 matches before they defended the total with some fine pace bowling.
“It was a fantastic team performance,” said Buttler. “We got up to what looked to be a good score on that wicket, because it got harder and harder to bat on as the game went on.”
“Then the opening pair with the ball bowled fantastically well up front.”
“That set up the whole innings, and then Mark Wood coming back and getting the key wicket of Kane Williamson really turned the game in our favour.”
*From Press Association Sport
