England v Sri Lanka - T20 World Cup: Brilliant Jos Buttler puts England on brink of semi-finals

After a kit clash meant that they were forced to swap their usual navy-coloured trousers for a striking red number, England followed facile triumphs over West Indies, Bangladesh and Australia with a hard-fought 26-run win against Sri Lanka, not quite a one-in-a-vermilion performance but impressive nonetheless.

Jos Buttler - a one-in-a-million talent if ever there was one - top-scored with an unbeaten 101 as England recovered from a slow start on a low, skiddy surface, reviving from 47-3 at the halfway stage to post 163-4 from their 20 overs.

Adil Rashid, Chris Jordan and Moeen Ali each captured two wickets as Sri Lanka were dismissed for 137 from the final ball of the penultimate over, the only blot on an otherwise excellent evening coming when fast bowler Tymal Mills was forced to limp off with a right quad injury.

Even that cloud, though, had a silver lining of sorts. Sam Billings, who came on as a substitute fielder, was involved in a remarkable relay catch which swung the momentum back to England after Sri Lanka - themselves reviving from 76-5 to 129-5 - threatened a heist.

Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva, the leg-spinner who had been Sri Lanka’s most successful bowler with 3-21, lofted Liam Livingstone out to long-off, where Jason Roy flicked the ball back to Billings before making contact with the boundary rope.

Hasaranga’s departure for the top score of 34 was followed, three balls later, by that of Dasun Shanaka, brilliantly run out by Buttler - who else? - when he dabbed a delivery from Jordan to the wicketkeeper’s right, made to set off for a run and was beaten by a direct hit before he could regain his ground, England’s fielding once again excellent.

Amid the sweaty heat of Sharjah, with their place in the semi-finals now all but guaranteed ahead of their final group game against South Africa at the same ground on Saturday, England were indebted to the finest white-ball batsman to have pulled on their red trousers or otherwise.

Buttler came into the match on the back of an unbeaten 71 in the win against Australia and he raised his personal bar by achieving his first T20 international hundred, reached with a six off the final ball when Dushmantha Chameera was deposited over deep backward-square.

Buttler, who faced 67 balls and hit six sixes and as many fours, became the first man to score a hundred for England in all three formats, having made two Test centuries and nine in one-day internationals.

In addition to his extraordinary ball-striking qualities, Buttler read the pitch, the conditions and adapted his game, accelerating through the gears against the quicker bowlers who fell into the trap of bowling too full.

After Sri Lanka had won the toss and inserted, thereby following the template for success at this tournaent, the dew being such a handicap to the side bowling second, Buttler was watchful at first as England lost three wickets in the six-over powerplay.

Jason Roy was bowled trying to sweep a googly from Hasaranga, who trapped an advancing Jonny Bairstow with another googly as the Yorkshireman fell for a golden duck on review after Dawid Malan, his county team-mate, was bowled through the gate attempting to drive the pace of Chameera.

At 35-3, England were struggling having been kept in check by Hasaranga and fellow spinner Maheesh Theekshana, who conceded just 13 runs from four overs of off-spin, but Buttler and Morgan shared a fourth-wicket stand of 112 in 13 overs on a night when Morgan became the most successful captain in T20 internationals with his 43rd victory.

Morgan has been in poor form lately - he barely got a run at the Indian Premier League - but, after a ponderous start, he prospered with all the old flair, striking three sixes and a four en route to 40 from 36 balls before finishing the night with another strategic masterclass in the field.

Rashid was England’s best bowler, the Yorkshireman returning 2-19 from four overs and making the early headway when Charith Asalanka skied high to cover and Kusal Perera sent another offside skier into Morgan’s hands.

Rashid would have had a third wicket but for an extremely rare fielding blemish, Chris Woakes shelling Bhanuka Rajapaksa at deep mid-wicket.

Otherwise, England’s catching and groundfielding were impeccable, exemplified by a magnificent diving stop on the boundary by Bairstow which emphasised the team’s commitment and will to win.