Jos Buttler has equalled Ian Bell’s record for the fourth-most 50-plus scores for England in ODIs, with both players now on 39 each. Buttler reached the milestone during England’s recent ODI outing against South Africa, continuing his outstanding form in white-ball cricket.
He now sits behind only Joe Root (61) and Eoin Morgan (55) on the all-time list for England. However, with him still an active player and a key part of England’s white-ball setup, the keeper-batter is well-positioned to climb further up the list in the near future.
Buttler’s 61 went in vain
After suffering a defeat in the first ODI, England put everything they had in the second. However, the Three Lions fell five runs short and lost the ODI series to South Africa for the first time in 27 years.
Batting first, the Proteas dominated with openers Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton stitching a 73-run partnership. After it broke, the visitors struggled for a while, but Matthew Breetzke and Tristan Stubbs took control of the proceedings. Breetzke, with his sensational knock of 85 runs, became the first cricketer in history to register five consecutive 50+ scores since his debut.
Stubbs, on the other hand, proved effective as well, scoring 68. Towards the end, Dewald Brevis played a quick cameo of 42, and Corbin Bosch made an unbeaten 32 as South Africa posted 330 runs on the board in the first innings.
When it came to the chase, England openers failed to hand a good start to the hosts. However, Joe Root and Jacob Bethell kept the Three Lions in the hunt, with a half-century each. Later, Buttler’s innings brought England closer to victory, but none of the other cricketers could contribute enough for the team to cross the line. Jofra Archer tried his best towards the end with unbeaten 27 runs, but it wasn’t enough.