Buttler: Roy can be game-changer for England and Surrey in Royal London...

Buttler: Roy can be game-changer for England and Surrey in Royal London One-Day competitions

Jos Buttler is expecting a tough test from Australia

Big-hitting Surrey batsman Jason Roy can be a game-changer for England in the Royal London One-Day International Series against Australia, according to his international team-mate Jos Buttler.

The sight of the 27-year-old opener is likely to strike fear in the heart of the Australian bowlers after he hit the highest one-day international score in Melbourne earlier this year.

Roy smashed 16 fours and five sixes in his record-breaking innings of 180 to help the tourists win by five wickets at the MCG as he surpassed the previous mark of 171 made by Alex Hales.

He will now look to replicate his swaggering stroke play on home soil – and fellow batsman Buttler has backed Roy to have a summer to remember in the five-match series.

“I think Jason Roy is ready to have a big summer, he’s someone who could really change the series,” said Buttler, speaking at a private batting session to celebrate unconventional greatness in cricket with Royal London.

“He shows how far the team has come and the way he goes out and plays is exactly the style we’re trying to achieve.

“He scored 180-odd against Australia in Melbourne, so he’s always someone I look forward to watching bat – he’s incredibly exciting.

“It will be great from him to start at the Oval as well, on his home ground – he always seems to bat well here.

“I haven’t batted with Jason much yet but I’d definitely like to – I think we’d work well together out in the middle.”

England go into the Royal London One-Day International Series against Australia, which begins at The Oval on Wednesday, on the back of a shock six-run defeat against Scotland in Edinburgh on Sunday.

With Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes ruled out of the start of the series with injury, the hosts will have to make do without two players who have contributed to their rise to number one in the rankings.

But Buttler is not concerned by the absence of the two all-rounders from the squad and expects players such as Surrey’s Tom Curran to step up in their place.

“People outside the 11 are really pushing for a place in the team and ready to step up,” he said.

“It’s unfortunate for those guys to be missing out but it presents great opportunities for other guys to step in, perform and push their case for a regular spot.”

He continued: “We’ve got so much confidence in the guys coming in. Jake Ball opened the bowling in the Champions Trophy last year and performed brilliantly.

“Tom Curran came into the side in Australia and put in a man of the match performance with a five-wicket haul in Perth to win us the game.

“They are all good cricketers coming into the team and determined to show how good they are. There is a hell of a lot trust within the team about all those guys ready to play.”

Royal London, proud sponsors of one-day cricket, is celebrating unconventional greatness in the game by championing the independent spirit of players and fans.

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