SA vs ENG | Twitter lauds Jason Roy's fighting century to earn shot at survival in Buttler's England

England looked well set to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series against South Africa after a clinical performance with both the bat and the ball. At the time of writing, they had cruised to 196/3 after just 29 overs while chasing 299 for victory. The team did have a mini-scare as they succumbed from 146/0 to 151/3 in the space of 12 deliveries but the assured presence of Jason Roy at the crease ensured the team maintained its composure in what could be a future-defining knock for the opener.

Roy was one of the original revolutionaries under Eoin Morgan that helped herald a new era in ODI cricket and was a crucial component in the side that went on to lift the ICC World Cup in 2019. However, since 2020, the 32-year-old had managed a paltry 612 runs in 23 innings at a sub-par average of 27.81, his only century in the period coming against the Netherlands in June 2022. The atrocious form had seen him dropped from the squad as well, as questions rose on his spot in the squad for the upcoming World Cup in India starting in October. The likes of Phil Salt popped up as possible replacements while Alex hales' return to the national setup did not help things either.

However, Jos Buttler and the management decided to afford one last chance to Roy and he grabbed it with aplomb, stroking a flamboyant century against the nation of his birth. The opener reached the three-figure mark off just 79 deliveries and was eventually dismissed for 113 off 91 balls, hitting 11 boundaries and four maximums. Roy's knock ensured the critics were kept at bay for the moment as Twitter rejoiced glimpses of a prime Jason Roy.

Massive

Elites

Definetly

Delighted

That roar

Absolutely huge

Fantastic

He is back

Comeback century

Roy is back again!