England better their own world record for highest-ever ODI score; slams 498/4 against Netherlands

Jos Buttler – Reuters

HINDUSTAN Times: England wrote history during the first ODI of the series against Netherlands, as they broke their own world record for the highest score in fifty-over format during the first game at Amstelveen. Jos Buttler (162*), Dawid Malan (125), and Philip Salt (122) slammed magnificent centuries as England posted a mammoth score of 498/4, breaking their previous world record total of 481/6, that came against Australia in Nottingham in 2018.

Interestingly, England have scored the three-highest totals in ODIs, with their third-highest coming against Sri Lanka (444/3 in 2016, Nottingham).

Additionally, England hit 26 sixes in the innings, which is also a world record in ODI. The English team bettered its own sum of 25 sixes against Afghanistan in Manchester in 2019.

The visitors had faced an early setback in their innings after Netherlands captain Pieter Seelaar had invited England to bat, as Jason Roy fell on 1 – dismissed by his cousin Shane Snater. However, Salt and Dawid Malan then forged a 222-run stand for the second wicket, as the former slammed a brisk century before falling on 122 off 93 deliveries.

Wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler, then, put on a show as he reached his fifty in merely 27 balls. In the next 43 balls, Buttler hit 111 runs. The Englishman reached three figures in 47 balls for the second-fastest hundred for England. His crowd-pleasing knock of 162 not out contained 14 of the team's 26 sixes.

Buttler now has the three quickest ODI centuries for the national team – off 46 balls, 47 balls and 50 balls.

While captain Eoin Morgan (0) failed to make a mark, Liam Livingstone aided in a strong finish for the English team with an incredible unbeaten 66 off just 22 deliveries.