OUT OF THEIR DEPTH

Lack of batting strength costs England dear as Buttler's unbalanced XI fall short

- DEAN WILSON

JOS BUTTLER was forced to defend a lack of out-and-out batting options in his T20 squad after England fluffed their lines on opening night in Bangladesh.

A batting collapse of four wickets for 11 runs in 20 balls was at the heart of a six-wicket defeat.

Never before had these teams met in this format outside of a global event, and they had only done that once before in the T20 World Cup earlier this winter.

But home fans were in for a treat with the world weighed, champions measured and found wanting, their super strength with the bat becoming their Achilles heel.

There are just four batsmen in the 13-man squad, reflecting both stretched resources and the relatively low-key nature of this series.