AMSTERDAM: England National Men’s Cricket Team have smashed the highest total in the history of ODI cricket as the touring side finished at 498/4 in the allotted 50 overs in the first ODI, here on Friday.
England’s wicket-keeper batter Jos Buttler carried on his sublime form with the bat and propelled his side to the highest ODI total.
In the record-breaking innings, England were off to an unwanted as the side lost their explosive batter Jason Roy, who was castled by his cousin Shane Snater for a combined score of one.
The young opener Phil Salt alongside the former top-ranked T20I batter Dawid Malan then anchored the innings and laid the foundation of a commendable total.
The pair put on a magnificent 222-run stand for the second wicket with both scoring centuries before Salt fell to Logan van Beek in the 30th over. He scored 122 off just 93 balls with the help of 14 boundaries and three sixes.
Malan, however, who was a touch slow then entered into another match-defining partnership with England’s hero of the day Buttler.
Buttler’s astounding knock then changed the dynamics of the match as his blistering century soon saw England cross the 400-run mark in the 44th over.
🚨 RECORD ALERT 🚨
England end their innings on 498/4, the highest team total in men's ODI history 👏
📝 Scorecard: https://t.co/c0rzJBjRoe #NEDvENG pic.twitter.com/Ms8c06aKyQ
— ICC (@ICC) June 17, 2022
In the 45th over, the depleted home side found a moment to cherish as Pieter Seelaar struck twice in two consecutive balls to remove Malan and the skipper Eoin Morgan.
The left-handed batter faced only 109 deliveries and smashed a dozen boundaries including three sixes in his anchoring knock of 125 runs. Captain Morgan, on the other hand, bagged a golden duck in a high-scoring match.
The sudden blow, however, did not affect the touring side much as the newly-arrived Liam Livingstone joined the party and sailed the ball all over the park.
The right-handed batter Livingstone further added to the misery of the home side when he took Phillippe Boissevan’s 46th over for 32 runs with the help of four gigantic sixes and two boundaries.
The touring side then lost their march toward the 500-run mark by a thin margin as they finished at the new highest ODI total of 498/4 in the allotted 50 overs.
England’s top-scorer Buttler remained unbeaten on 162 off just 70 deliveries, laced with seven boundaries and 14 sixes. His 150 was the joint-fastest in the ODIs.
Livingstone, on the other hand, who earlier missed the opportunity to smash the fastest ODI fifty finished not-out on 66 off just 22 balls including six boundaries and as many sixes. The right-handed batter, however, has marked himself into the record book with the second-fastest ODI fifty after South Africa’s Ab de Villers.
The home side bowlers had a day to forget as they were taken for plenty in their respective allotted overs. Seelaar, however, was their pick of the bowlers with his two wickets while van Beek remained the most economical with a wicket.
It is pertinent to mention here that England have bettered their own record of the highest ODI total. The second-ranked ODI side previously scored 481/5 against Australia in 2018.
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