England captain Jos Buttler has applauded debutant Jake Ball who has turned the first ODI against Bangladesh into the visitor’s side with his brilliant spell.
The tourists have eventually earned the win as they held their nerve in the crunch situation in the match where Bangladesh dominated before having one of the most dramatic batting collapses in ODI cricket history.
The hosts were 271 for 4 in the 42nd over before brilliant bowling spells from Jake Ball and Adil Rashid which saw them get all out for just 288 as England managed 21 run victory to go 1-0 in the three-match ODI series.
Buttler, who is the England captain for the series, has praised Jake Ball who is playing his debut ODI and has managed to clinch five wickets as he ran through the Bangladesh batting in the final overs giving England a memorable victory.
“It was brilliant from Ball, he got us back in the game with those two balls. It was a brilliant five-wicket haul. The conditions had changed and the ball was coming on to the bat very well. I thought we bowled fantastically well. To be 1-0 is fantastic for us.”
Buttler has also revealed that it was Ben Stokes who has brought the team back into the game with his leadership as he backed the team to fight as Bangladesh were coasting towards the victory.
“As much as you can, you try and stay calm. We knew we needed wickets to win the game and break the partnership. When I dropped probably the easiest catch you’d see in international cricket I was thinking it was one of those days. But Ben Stokes really brought us back and said ‘let’s not give it to them easy’. I think that belief and hunger to win really came through.”
Jake Ball, who was brought into the team as Liam Plunkett who suffered a toe injury ahead of first ODI, said: “It was obviously a debut you can’t forget, really.
“I just wanted to come into the game and show what I can. Hopefully, I have shown that I can do it at this level,” he said.
“It is about staying patient. The team we have is incredible. These players on the sidelines would probably walk in on any other team. Credit to the guys and the strength we have got. It makes you keep performing. There are always people snapping behind you to come into the team.”