BIRMINGHAM: Jos Buttler’s One-day International best 129 powered England to a record total of 408 for nine against New Zealand at Edgbaston on Tuesday.

England’s score was their highest in all ODIs, surpassing the 391 four they made against Bangladesh at Trent Bridge in 2005 — the previous highest in any ODI in England.

It owed much to a stand of 177 between Buttler and Adil Rashid (69) — a record for the seventh wicket in all ODI cricket, topping the 130 put on by Zimbabwe’s Andy Flower and Heath Streak against England in Harare in 2001.

That partnership meant the huge score England had threatened while Joe Root, who made 104, and captain Eoin Morgan (50) were compiling a third-wicket stand of 12, was achieved despite the loss of four wickets for 31 runs in the middle of their innings.

Trent Boult took four wickets for 55 runs in his maximum 10 overs. But the left-arm paceman had completed his spell when England’s seventh-wicket pair launched their assault against the remainder of the World Cup finalists’ attack.

This fixture, the first of a five-match series, marked the start of what England hoped would be a new era of ODI cricket after their embarrassing first-round exit at this year’s World Cup, which included an eight-wicket thrashing by New Zealand in Wellington in February.

But it started with a whimper when, after New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum won the toss, the first ball of the innings saw Jason Roy caught by Martin Guptill at backward point off Boult.

But Alex Hales and Root put in fifty for the second wicket.

Root had two moments of good fortune. He went to fifty when an outside edge off left-arm quick Mitchell McClenaghan flew between wicket-keeper Luke Ronchi and slip Ross Taylor, with neither man going for the chance.

And after sweeping off-spinner Nathan McCullum for six, the next ball, on 61, saw Taylor drop a difficult, low, one-handed catch as the ball went for four.

He pressed on to an excellent hundred — his fifth in 51 ODI innings — off 71 balls, including 12 fours and two sixes.

But he fell soon afterwards, caught behind off Boult, to spark a slump.

However, wicket-keeper Buttler and leg-spinner Rashid counter-attacked in fine fashion.

Buttler, whose maiden ODI century against Sri Lanka last year came in an England record 61 balls, took 66 to reach the landmark at Edgbaston.

The 24-year-old went to three figures in style when he cover-drove McClenagan for his 11th four.

Meanwhile New Zealand’s fielding was below its usual high standard with Brendon McCullum dropping Rashid in the deep when the leg-spinner had made 46.

Buttler’s superb innings ended when he holed out off Henry, having faced just 77 balls including 13 fours and five sixes.

Grant Elliott took two wickets in two balls in the last over, Rashid falling for his ODI best score made off just 50 balls, including seven fours and two sixes.

But Liam Plunkett avoided the hat-trick in style by driving Elliott six to bring up the 400.

Scoreboard

ENGLAND:

J. Roy c Guptill b Boult 0

A. Hales c Henry b Boult 20

J. Root c Ronchi b Boult 104

E. Morgan lbw b McClenaghan 50

B. Stokes b Boult 10

J. Buttler c Henry b McClenaghan 129

S. Billings lbw b Santner 3

A. Rashid c Guptill b Elliott 69

C. Jordan c Boult b Elliott 2

L. Plunkett not out 13

S. Finn not out 0

EXTRAS (W-8) 8

TOTAL (for nine wkts, 50 overs) 408

FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-50, 3-171, 4-180, 5-195, 6-202, 7-379, 8-394, 9-394.

BOWLING: Boult 10-0-55-4; Henry 10-0-73-0 (3w); N McCullum 7-0-66-0 (1w); McClenaghan 10-0-93-2 (3w); Elliott 5-0-57-2 (1w); Santner 8-0-64-1.

NEW ZEALAND: Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum (capt), Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Grant Elliott, Mitchell Santner, Luke Ronchi (wkt), Nathan McCullum, Matt Henry, Mitchell McClenaghan, Trent Boult.

UMPIRES: Bruce Oxenford (AUS), Michael Gough (ENG).

TV UMPIRE: Steve Davis (AUS).

MATCH REFEREE: Javagal Srinath (IND).

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2015

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