England are the world champions and they are the defending champions in ODI cricket. The English team has always been a strong team when it comes to white-ball cricket. That is the reason they are at the top of the rankings in both T20Is and ODIs. The English team played their first ever white-ball game in 1971, and since then, they have become a force to reckon with.
The current English team is full of hard-hitting batters, which is the reason they hold the record of scoring the top-three highest ODI total in the history of the game. It indicates the explosiveness of the batters they have in their ranks. And in this article, we will discuss the fastest 50 by an English batter in ODI cricket.
3. Jonny Bairstow (21-ball) against Ireland at Southampton
Jonny Bairstow is an explosive opening batter in the white-ball format. He holds the third-fastest fifty for England in ODIs. It was the match against Ireland at Southampton on August 1, 2020. Ireland won the toss and chose to bat first. But they couldn’t carry on against the English bowling attack. The Irish team could only manage 212/9 in their 50 overs. Curtis Campher was the top scorer.
He scored 68 runs. However, in reply, England also lost some wickets in the middle. But in the end, they chased down the target in 32.3 overs and scored 216/6, winning the match by four wickets. Bairstow scored a 21-ball half-century and made 82 off 41 balls, including 14 boundaries and two maximums, and registered the third fastest fifty.
2. Eoin Morgan (21-ball) against Australia at Nottingham
The second highest team total in ODIs came against Australia on June 19, 2018 at Nottingham. It was the third ODI match between England and Australia in a five-match series. After winning the toss, Australia chose to bowl first, and England came out hard. Jonny Bairstow (139) and Alex Hales (147) both scored centuries. A late cameo from skipper Eoin Morgan helped England reach a mammoth total of 481/6 in 50 overs.
Morgan hit a 21-ball half-century and made 67 off 30 balls, including three fours and six maximums. That was the highest ODI team total at that time. Later, England broke their own record. It was a huge total to chase and Australia couldn’t do much. They were bowled out for just 239 in 37 overs and lost the match by 242 runs.
1. Liam Livingstone (17-ball) against Netherlands (joint second-fastest in ODI)
Liam Livingstone has hit the fastest fifty for England and the second fastest overall. But this match saw the highest ever ODI total by any team. It was the first ODI of a three-match ODI series between England and the Netherlands at Amstelveen. Netherlands won the toss and chose to bowl first against a strong English batting line-up. However, England lost the first wicket for just one run, but after that it was complete carnage.
The next three English batters each hit a century. Phil Salt scored 122 off 93, Dawid Malan made 125 off 109, while Jos Buttler scored 162* off 70 balls. In the end, a cameo from Livingstone changed the game. He smashed a 17-ball half-century and made 66* off just 22 balls, including six fours and six maximums. England posted a huge total of 498/4 in their 50 overs. In reply, Netherlands could only manage 266 and lost the match by 232 runs.
List of Fastest 50 by England in ODI
Player | Inns Score | Balls for 50 | 6s | 4s | Against | Venue | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liam Livingstone | 66* | 17 ball | 6 | 6 | Netherlands | Amstelveen | 17/06/2022 |
Eoin Morgan | 67 | 21 ball | 6 | 3 | Australia | Nottingham | 19/06/2018 |
Jonny Bairstow | 81 | 21-ball | 2 | 14 | Ireland | Southampton | 01/08/2020 |
Jos Buttler | 90* | 22 ball | 7 | 7 | Pakistan | Nottingham | 30/08/2016 |
Eoin Morgan | 57* | 24 ball | 5 | 3 | Pakistan | Nottingham | 30/08/2016 |
Eoin Morgan | 67 | 26 ball | 5 | 4 | South Africa | Centurion | 27/09/2019 |
Jos Buttler | 162* | 27 ball | 14 | 7 | Netherlands | Amstelveen | 17/06/2022 |