Cardiff [UK], September 9 (ANI): England captain Jos Buttler went past former captain Alec Stewart to become the country's fifth-highest run-scorer in ODI cricket.
The 33-year-old accomplished this during the 1st ODI between England and New Zealand at Cardiff.
In the match, Buttler smashed 72 in 68 balls. His knock consisted of five fours and two sixes and his runs came at a strike rate of over 105.88.
Buttler, in 166 matches, has scored 4,719 runs at an average of 41.76. He has scored 11 centuries and 25 half-centuries in 139 innings, with the best score of 162. With this, he has become England's fifth-highest run-scorer in ODIs.
England's top run-scorer in ODIs is their World Cup-winning skipper Eoin Morgan. In 225 matches, he has scored 6,957 runs at an average of 39.75. He has scored 13 centuries and 42 half-centuries, with the best score of 148.
Morgan is followed by Joe Root (6,213 runs), Ian Bell (5,416 runs) and Paul Collingwood (5,092 runs).
Coming to the match, New Zealand opted to bowl first. England got off to a solid start with an 80-run partnership between Harry Brook (25 in 41 balls, with two fours) and Dawid Malan (54 in 53 balls, with nine fours). England then sank to 101/3.
Then an 88-run stand between Buttler (72) and a returning Ben Stokes (52 in 69 balls with three fours and a six) and a 77-run partnership between Buttler and Liam Livingstone (52 in 40 balls, with three fours and three sixes) helped England reach 291/6 in 50 overs.
Rachin Ravindra (3/48) and Tim Southee (2/71) were the pick of the bowlers for NZ.
In the chase of 292, openers Devon Conway and Will Young (29) helped NZ get off to a solid start, forming a 61-run stand. Then followed a 56-run partnership between Conway and Henry Nicholls (26 in 30 balls, with three fours).
After England reduced NZ to 117/2, Conway (111 in 121 balls with 13 fours and a six) and Daryl Mitchell (118 in 91 balls with seven fours and seven sixes) dismantled the English bowling with their hitting, forming a match-winning 180-run partnership.
Conway was adjudged as the 'Player of the Match' for his century. (ANI)
