NED vs ENG 1st ODI: England hit world record score to crush Netherlands
NED vs ENG 1st ODI: England set a new world record for the greatest team total in one-day international (ODI) history after smashing 498-4 in 50 overs against a weak Netherlands side in Amstelveen on Friday to win by 232 runs.
As England surpassed their previous record of 481 against Australia in 2018, Jos Buttler, Dawid Malan, and Phil Salt each hit hundreds, while Liam Livingstone stepped into bat in the 45th over and got England’s fastest ODI fifty.
With a 222-run partnership, Malan (125) and Salt (122) lay the groundwork for England’s record score before Buttler (162 not out off 70 balls) stepped in and pushed the scoring in a savage onslaught on the Dutch bowlers.
After being let free twice by poor Dutch fielding early in his innings, Buttler, who led the Indian Premier League (IPL) with 863 runs this season, proceeded where he left off, blasting seven fours and clearing the boundaries 14 times.
“It certainly feels like I’m in the form of my life. The IPL couldn’t have gone much better for me so I was feeling in good touch coming here,” Buttler said after he was named the man of the match.
“It was a really good wicket, we got off to a good start and also that gave me the licence to really attack.”
Buttler’s century came in 47 balls, the second-fastest in England history and one ball short of his personal record.
The Dutch team needed to score at an eye-watering 10 per over to win. But they only managed to score at half that rate before bowled out for 266. With Moeen Ali taking three wickets.
“Getting Jason Roy out (in the second over) was a good moment,” Dutch skipper Pieter Seelaar said. “But dropping those catches… (you) can’t drop the best batsman in the world twice in an over. In that we let ourselves down.”
As England proceeded to hit sixes, some of which landed in the trees and bushes lining the pitch. The Dutch players forced to assist the ground staff in their search for the ball.
Therefore, Livingstone was undefeated on 66 off just 22 deliveries after reaching his fifty in 17 balls.
After scoring 444 against Pakistan in 2016, England now has the three greatest ODI scores in history.
“It’s great learning, also this will make us better cricketers in the future,” Seelaar added. “The intimidation was there, the Barmy Army was loud, we have to pull ourselves together and come back on Sunday.”
On Sunday and Wednesday, England’s second-string team will face the Netherlands in two more One-Day Internationals.
The post NED vs ENG 1st ODI: England hit world record score to crush Netherlands appeared first on CricTelegraph.