Jos Buttler breaks T20 runs record in Manchester Super Giants win

Tim Seifert and Jos Buttler cracked blazing half-centuries as Manchester Super Giants cruised to a comfortable 9-wicket win over Welsh Fire, chasing down the target of 156 with 31 balls to spare, at Old Trafford, on Wednesday. Buttler ended his team's three-match losing streak with his unbeaten 20-ball 51, surpassing Kieron Pollard's previous record for most runs scored in T20 matches. The hosts were quick to assert their dominance in the chase. Even as Seifert got going with an edge that raced away to the boundary, the keeper-bat smashed four more boundaries in the next set. Walter, his opening partner, wasn’t to become a liability at the other end. He took some time to take charge, but once he did, he clubbed Marco Jansen and Rachin Ravindra for 24 runs in five balls against them. Even as Sam Cook had him caught at deep mid wicket in the 35th ball of the innings, Walter’s fall didn’t derail the chase. Buttler got going early in his innings, scooping Jansen for a boundary off the fourth ball of his innings. But the real carnage began when Jansen returned for another set, as Buttler smashed the pacer for three successive sixes. He was able to get past Pollard's line with the first of those, a slot delivery that was hit over square leg. By then, with the fate of the contest certain, Buttler clubbed Lockie Ferguson for two more sixes, the second of which helped him raise a half-century and take the team over the line. Fire had started slowly earlier in the day after choosing to bat. However, even as Phil Salt was struggling to get the boundaries flowing, Matthew Short repeatedly had moments where he would take the attack to the bowlers. First, it was against Liam Dawson, who was hit repeatedly for six and two boundaries. And then, against Noor Ahmad who was taken apart for three boundaries in a space of four balls. Salt’s only brief moment of release came against Sonny Baker’s short deliveries getting carted for two boundaries and a six. Both the openers departed in quick succession after adding 125 runs for the opening wicket. However, with only 17 deliveries remaining following Salt's departure, the remaining batters were ultimately left to bat. Jordan Cox and Ravindra managed to send one over the ropes each as Gus Atkinson chipped in with a brace as the visitors were limited to 155 for 4, which resulted in Fire losing their second game of the season.