Amstelveen (The Netherlands):Centuries to three of England’s top four, highlighted by a brutal display from Jos Buttler (162 n o, 70b, 7×4, 14×6) carried England to a world-record ODI total in the first of their three ODIs against Netherlands here Friday. England after being put in by Netherlands skipper Pieter Seelaar made 498 for four wickets in their 50 overs. In the process England rewrote the record books as they went past the highest ODI total of 481 for six which they had registered against Australia in 2018.
Dawid Malan (125, 109b, 9×4, 3×6) and Phil Salt (122, 93b, 14×4, 3×6) also posted tons and Liam Livingstone smashed 66 (22b, 6×4, 6×6) made mincemeat out of the friendly Netherlands bowling attack.
Following Jonny Bairstow’s jaw-dropping example Tuesday to win the second Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge on Tuesday, Buttler batted with gay abandon with no part of the VRA ground or its surrounds safe as he launched the ball into trees, onto the pavilion roof, over the commentary tent and sightscreen and onto the neighbouring hockey fields.
In the process Buttler scored England’s second-fastest hundred in ODIs, smashing his way to the mark off 47 balls. He now holds his side’s top-three fastest, his 46-ball effort in 2015 and 50-ball knock in 2019, both against Pakistan, bookending this one.
England however did not start well when Jason Roy fell to cousin Shane Snater on the seventh ball he faced, bowled through the gate by a fuller delivery.
However, the carnage began after that with Salt and Malan putting on 222 runs for the second wicket. Then Malan and Buttler added 184 runs for the third wicket as the Netherlands bowler completely lost the plot. Even though skipper Eoin Morgan (0) fell for a duck, it was the turn of Livingstone to completely go berserk and sixes rained at the ground here.