Sharjah, Nov 2 (IANS): England captain Eoin Morgan acknowledged that his team had to fight incredibly hard to secure a 26-run win over Sri Lanka in a Group 1 match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium here on Monday. He added that he was incredibly proud of his team for putting up an all-round show in changing conditions.
"I am incredibly proud of everything we have done tonight. The guys had to fight incredibly hard. Conditions here continued to change, Tymal going out asked another question of ourselves. But Livingstone and Moeen stepped up exceptionally well with the other guys. I can't fault our guys tonight," said Morgan in the post-match presentation ceremony.
Morgan was in high praise of Jos Buttler's unbeaten 101 off 67 balls, which took England to 163/4 in 20 overs. "I thought Jos Buttler played one of his best-ever innings in an England shirt. It was incredible to be at the other end and watch. He is one of the best in the game and it's a privilege to have him in our team."
"All-round fielding effort was good. We are delighted with the four wins. Combination of unbelievable skill level and the calm nature in which he goes about it - he combines them along with reading the game. To see him in this form in the group stages bodes well for the latter stages," added Morgan, who went past Afghanistan's Asghar Afghan to become the T20I skipper with the most number of wins at 43.
Morgan shared a crucial 112-run stand with Buttler for the fourth wicket. He was also the second-highest run-scorer in the team after Buttler, scoring 40 off 36 balls, including one four and three sixes. It was a welcome knock from Morgan, who had been struggling to get runs with the bat of late.
"You always got to believe, I always do. Today was a tougher test. We were enjoying ourselves. Just to get a partnership going and put something on the board to defend."
With the win over Sri Lanka, England now have four out of four wins in Group 1, solidifying their chances for a spot in the semi-finals. Their last Group 1 match will be against South Africa in Sharjah on Saturday.