England hit record 408-9 in New Zealand one-day international

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England made a sensational start to their new era of one-day international cricket by smashing their highest ever score against New Zealand at Edgbaston.

Eoin Morgan’s side hammered 408-9, surpassing the 391-4 made against Bangladesh in 2005.

Jos Buttler made the second-fastest ODI hundred by an England batsman off 66 balls and Joe Root the fourth quickest.

Adil Rashid and Morgan added fluent fifties after Jason Roy fell to the first ball of the match.

England’s innings was an extraordinary statement of intent in their first home ODI since a dismal World Cup campaign, and was greeted with delight by a raucous Edgbaston crowd.

Morgan’s men were beaten by Bangladesh on the way to a first-round exit in Australia and New Zealand and have since seen coach Peter Moores sacked.

With Paul Farbrace in temporary charge and Trevor Bayliss set to take over, England included only five of their World Cup squad against the beaten finalists.

On an Edgbaston pitch full of runs, they took advantage of some poor New Zealand bowling and fielding, but also displayed an aggression that has long been absent from their limited-overs cricket.

Root’s hundred came from 71 balls, while wicketkeeper Buttler brought up three figures in only five fewer balls than his England record – and went on to score 129 off 77.

“There was a lot of talk before the game about a new era, and to go out and deliver it is really pleasing,” Buttler told Sky Sports.

“Credit to Joe Root, who really took it to them early. The way Brendon McCullum captains, he loads it at the front and tries to get you out, so we knew if we could stay in for 50 overs we could get a big score.”

 

The records in full

Highest ODI total by England (and 10th highest of all time)

Highest ODI total in England

Highest ODI score by a number six batsman for England

Most sixes scored in an ODI innings by England (14)

Highest seventh-wicket partnership in ODI history

Buttler’s 100 is the second-fastest in England ODI history

Root’s 100 is the fourth-fastest for England

‘The public needed this’

 

BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew: “If you’ve been here today, you won’t forget it. That was an extraordinary feast of entertainment, led by Jos Buttler and Joe Root.”

Former England captain Alec Stewart: “Quite unbelievable cricket from England. Just think, a couple of months ago, England were being laughed at for playing archaic one-day cricket. It’s roles reversed from the World Cup. The public needed this, the England dressing-room needed this, and if this is how they are going to play for the next four years, it’s a great start.”

Former England captain Michael Vaughan: “It’s just the mindset. They had the same bats at the World Cup, but they didn’t have this mindset. Once you’ve got the commitment to take on the stroke, if you get the ball anywhere near the middle, these grounds aren’t big enough.”

 

How the drama unfolded

Root, promoted to number three after James Taylor was left out, arrived at the crease after opener Roy sliced his first ball in ODI cricket to point.

He played eye-catching drives off the back foot in a stand of 121 with Morgan, edging between keeper and slip to reach 50 and being dropped at long-on by Ross Taylor when on 61.

After Morgan was lbw to Trent Boult, Root slashed the same bowler behind for 104 in an England slide of four wickets for 31 runs to 202-6.

Buttler, though, rebuilt with Rashid in a seventh-wicket stand of 177 – an ODI record – in only 17.3 overs.

As Rashid initially took the initiative, Buttler’s first 50 came in a relatively calm 42 balls, with the Lancashire man then needing just 24 more to reach 100.

Dropped on the boundary by Taylor on 90, Buttler showed power down the ground, hitting four straight sixes to add to another maximum over the leg side in addition to 13 fours.

When he top-edged Mitchell McClenaghan to depart for a 77-ball 129 in the 48th over, England were still 21 runs short of reaching 400 for the first time.

But in front of a delirious Birmingham crowd, number 10 Liam Plunkett hit two maximums in the final over to complete an England total of 14 sixes.