By Nick Mulvenney
SYDNEY – All-rounder Ben Stokes dismissed an underwhelming run of kind with the bat to usher England into the semi-finals of the Twenty20 World Cup with a victory over Sri Lanka on Saturday.
A center order collapse had England wobbling of their pursuit of 142 for victory on the Sydney Cricket Floor however Stokes’s unbeaten 42 from 36 balls helped them safely throughout the road with two balls to spare.
“These conditions, it’s what he’s made for, I’m delighted for him,” stated captain Jos Buttler.
“Whereas he’s on the crease it provides you a way of calm.
“He can play a number of roles, he impacts the sport in all three aspects and he’s a correct competitor and it’s attending to this stage of the competitors the place you’ll simply see him develop and develop.”
Stokes, England’s check captain, has generally struggled to impose himself on T20 cricket with the bat in the identical approach he has in different codecs and had scored solely 16 runs in his earlier three innings on the event.
Saturday’s innings was removed from swashbuckling with solely two fours and no sixes however it was precisely what England wanted because the wickets tumbled on the different finish.
England, champions within the 2010 version of the event, now transfer on to a semi-final in Adelaide on Thursday, most probably in opposition to India or South Africa.
Sri Lanka coach Chris Silverwood, who led England till February this yr, additionally thought Stokes may need discovered his batting kind at simply the suitable time.
“Ben has been the talisman over the previous couple of years, hasn’t he?” he informed reporters. “I feel getting the crew over the road will construct his confidence.
“It’s all about peaking on the proper time, actually. So watch this area since you by no means actually know, do you?”
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