Jos Buttler hit the fastest one-day hundred for England while opener Jason Roy notched a maiden century to lift England to 355/5 in the fourth and final day-night international against Pakistan in Dubai on Friday.
Jos Buttler hit the fastest one-day hundred for England while opener Jason Roy notched a maiden century to lift England to 355/5 in the fourth and final day-night international against Pakistan in Dubai on Friday. Buttler smashed medium-pacer Anwar Ali for his eighth six to complete his third one-day century off just 46 balls -- also the joint-seventh fastest one-day hundred -- to help England score 129 in the final 10 overs. Buttler improved his own record of a 61-ball hundred -- the previous fastest hundred for England -- made against Sri Lanka at Lord's in May last year.
In all Buttler, who finished with 116 not out from 52 deliveries, clobbered 8 sixes and 10 boundaries to pulverise Pakistan who are seeking to level the series after falling behind 2-1. Buttler's rampaging batting overshadowed opener Roy's 117-ball 102 after England, who won the toss and batted, thrived on a batting-friendly pitch at Dubai stadium. Roy added 140 for the second wicket with Joe Root (71) to set an ideal platform for Buttler. Roy took a single off leg-spinner Yasir Shah to complete the three-figure mark off 113 balls but two runs later was caught off the same bowler.
Roy, whose previous best of 67 came against Australia at Southampton in September this year, hit eight boundaries and a six during his brilliant knock. Root ably supported Roy, hitting three boundaries and two sixes during his run-a-ball innings before he was stumped off Pakistan's skipper Azhar Ali who finished with 2-26. Roy and fellow opener Alex Hales had laid the platform for England as they took the score to 54 in the 12th over when lanky paceman Mohammad Irfan had Hales caught in the deep off a miscued hook shot.
But it was Buttler who lifted the tempo, reaching 50 off just 30 balls and taking 22 off Anwar's 46th over in a demonstration of clean hitting. Pakistan had brought in Shah, who missed the third game with a knee injury, while opener Ahmed Shehzad got his first chance in the series. They replaced Zafar Gohar and Iftikhar Ahmed.
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