BUTTLER’S BIG BASH

Jos targets quickest ton record as England hit the ground running

Jos Buttler believes he is in the kind of touch heading into the World Cup that could see him break his own record for england’s fastest one-day international hundred.

the 50-ball effort in victory over Pakistan at the Ageas Bowl on saturday was four balls slower than his best against the same opposition in Dubai four years ago but england’s vice-captain feels his array of both power and precision strokes are in tune to up the ante.

Asked if he felt he could improve on 46 deliveries, the 28-year- old was unequivocal in his response: ‘Absolutely, ely, defi definitely. When the opportunities rtuou arise, it gives you lots of confidence.

‘ We’ve seen other guys around the world show it’ s possible.

‘ We’ve played on some great one- day wickets over the last t few years in england.

‘traditionally, they have ave been high scoring, especially ecially the ones here and at trent Bridge. It is really enjoyable when you can play in that fashion. It was a brilliant cricket wicket, for batting especially. We had a great platform set and it was great to go in in that situation.’

Buttler did not arrive at the crease until the 36th over but once again showed how seamlessly he moves through the gears from a standing start — his career strike rate of 119.88 is the highest of any batsman to have played 100 one-day international innings. After witnessing the latest onslaught of six fours and nine sixes from the non-striker’s end, england captain eoin Morgan was impressed by Buttler’s improved rate of converting starts into three-figure scores.

this was his fourth hundred in 21 visits to the crease, a period stretching back to the 4-1 series win in Australia at the start of 2018. His first four hundreds spanned 85 innings. Buttler puts such a spike down to a period of gre greater maturity. off tha the field, he became a father last month a and wife louise and daughter Georgia were both in the crowd at s southampton. He h has also developed a cle clear desire to emulate late the regular productivity ductivi of others. ‘In the last couple of years, I’ve had some brilliant experiences, added Buttler.

‘I’m really chasing that consistency and wanting to perform every day.

‘When you manage to do that a couple of times, that breeds the confidence that you can do it for an elongated period of time.

‘that hundred I got in sydney was probably the best I’d played in an england shirt. I wanted to build on that and ride the back of that wave last summer.

‘there are other guys around the world who you watch and you’re very envious of.

‘Joe root is a great example in our own changing room of a guy who does it day in, day out.

‘that was a big realisation for me that I should chase that more than I probably was.’

While the batting appears in good fettle three games out from this month’s World Cup, it was arguably aconcern that a Pakistan batting unit, missing experienced duo Mohammad Hafeez and shoaib Malik, managed to get within a dozen runs of their 373 for three.

Not so, according to Buttler, who said: ‘I thought the guys who won the game were the bowling unit.

‘Dave Willey bowled brilliantly in those three overs on the bounce at the death.

‘Pakistan were probably favourites for quite a bit of that chase with a guy 130-odd not out and looking pretty imperious.

‘Credit to the guys for creating wicket-taking opportunities and closing it out.’

Jofra Archer, rested over the weekend, is likely to return at Bristol tomorrow as england rotate their attack with fellow paceman Mark Wood held back until the matches at trent Bridge and Headingley. england lead the series 1-0.