Stats: Jos Buttler tops ‘Fastest half-century in ODIs’ for England

England wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler has topped the charts for the fastest half-century by an England batsman in One Day international cricket. Buttler smashed the record when he smashed an unbeaten 90 off just 51 deliveries in the third ODI against Pakistan at Trent Bridge in Nottingham. Buttler’s effort came against a supremely good Pakistan pace attack boasting of players like Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz.

The 25-year old overtook former England skipper Paul Collingwood by just a couple of deliveries as he ascended to the summit. Buttler also now occupies the eighth position on the table when he smashed a wonderful ton against Pakistan during England’s tour of Pakistan in the 2014/15 series in Dubai. At Trent Bridge, however, the Brits saw a plethora of records broken which saw them clinch a series win over Pakistan. The latter is still yet to clinch a win in the ODI series thus far.

Before Buttler’s blitzkrieg in Trent Bridge, Paul Collingwood held the record for the fastest 50 in ODIs when he blasted an arduous 24-ball half-century against New Zealand in McLean Park in Napier. Moeen Ali’s 25-ball 50 against Sri Lanka in the R Premadasa Stadium saw his name come under lights. Eoin Morgan, England’s incumbent skipper for limited-overs’ cricket is the other batsman who has his name twice on this list. Moeen Ali also finds himself on the list twice with both half-centuries against Sri Lanka.

Also read: List of records created in the 3rd ODI between England and Pakistan

Although Eoin Morgan has been rather subdued of late, he smashed a 26-ball half-century against South Africa at Supersport Park all those years ago in England’s 2009/10 tour. England was successful in that particular tour despite the controversy surrounding then skipper Kevin Pietersen. The second one came against New Zealand at The Oval in London in 2015 where Brendon McCullum’s Kiwis were thrashed out of sight.

Ben Stokes, the southpaw all-rounder also has his name on the list with yet another 31-ball half-century against New Zealand at The Ageas Bowl in Southampton. Wicketkeeper-batsman Alec Stewart also has his name up in lights with a wonderful 32-ball 50 against Sri Lanka at the Eastern Oval in Ballarat. This happens to be the only fastest half-century on the current list to have taken place in the 1990s.

That inadvertently points to the fact that Alec Stewart held the record until Andrew Flintoff broke his record in 2002, almost 10 years after the record had been set by Stewart. At the moment, however, it is Jos Buttler who finds himself atop the list.