Jos Buttler serves England series win over Pakistan with fastest one-day hundred in Dubai
England seal the series 3-1 after fourth and final day-night match
Jos Buttler hit the fastest one-day hundred by an Englishman to guide England to an 84-run win over Pakistan in the fourth and final day-night international in Dubai on Friday for a 3-1 series triumph.
Buttler’s 52-ball 116 not out – his hundred coming off just 46 deliveries – coupled with a maiden century by opener Jason Roy lifted England to an imposing 355-5 before Pakistan were bowled out for 271 in 40.4 overs.
The win gave England their second series win since the World Cup disaster earlier this year where they failed to qualify for the quarter-finals.
I think the best one-day knock I have seen in the England shirt. We are delighted at this series win
They also beat New Zealand 3-2 at home but lost to Australia by the same margin.
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Pakistan won the first match of the four-game series by six wickets while England took the second by 95 runs and the third by six wickets.
Pakistan needed to improve upon their best-ever run chase – 327 against Bangladesh in March last year – but despite good knocks from Babar Azam (51 off 51 balls), Shoaib Malik (34-ball 52) and skipper Azhar Ali (44 off 32 balls) they fell short.
Mohammad Hafeez made 37 and Anwar Ali 24 as spinners Moeen Ali (3-53), Adil Rashid (3-78) and seamer David Willey (2-34) took wickets at regular intervals to stop Pakistan from pulling out a series-levelling win.
Azam and Hafeez added 65 for the third wicket while Azam added 47 for the fourth with Malik but that was never enough to overhaul a stiff target.