Dubai England’s wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler has broken the record for the fastest century in the UAE by reaching his hundred in 46 balls.
For Buttler, who had made his international debut at the Dubai International Stadium in 2012, it was a special moment when he thrashed the Pakistan bowling attack to all corners of the ground with breathtaking shots and huge sixes.
Buttler broke Basit Ali’s record in the UAE. Ali had taken 67 balls to rattle up his century at Sharjah in 1993-94.
Buttler also shattered his own record for the fastest century for England which came off 61 balls against New Zealand in June 2015 as well as his 66-ball hundred against Sri Lanka at Lord’s in May 2014. He had raced from 50 to his century in just 16 balls which evoked the question whether he can hit break the record of the fastest century being held by AB De Villiers who scored a 100 in 31 balls against West Indies last January.
When asked whether he felt it was his day as soon as he started batting, Buttler said: “You just tend to get into a rhythm and everything is working well — and you just react to the ball that comes down. Once I got to 50, feeling like everything was clicking into place, I knew that if I batted the whole innings, I’d be up around the 100 mark. Everything seemed to come off — when I didn’t get it, it landed in a gap. It was one of those days.”
England skipper Eoin Morgan was amazed at Buttler’s range of strokes and said it was the best One Day International (ODI) knock he had seen: “I think we were lost for words in the changing room. We’re very privileged to work and train day in, day out with Jos. The ability he shows there all came together for him today. It was just absolutely incredible — certainly the best one-day knock I’ve ever seen in an England shirt.”
With batsmen like De Villiers and Buttler around, statisticians have now begun to count the minimum number of balls needed to reach a century. Theoretically if a batsman can hit all deliveries he faces for a six, then he can reach the ton in 17 balls.
England coach Trevor Bayliss said Buttler’s innings was the best he had witnessed and noted his shots were clean cricketing shots. “I’m not sure if I’ve got the words to describe it. There was some very clean hitting, no slogging, good cricket shots, and shots not necessarily in the coaching manual.”
Buttler’s ton was also the fastest against Pakistan, breaking Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya’s 48-ball hundred against them in Singapore in 1995-96. For Buttler, the Dubai stadium will remain very special especially since he managed to play such a knock after being dropped from the Test eleven. “To come back to this ground having been dropped after the Test match and have a better day is immensely satisfying. It is one of the best innings I’ve played,” said Buttler, whose eight sixes is also the most by an England batsman, breaking Andrew Fintoff’s record of seven sixes against West Indies at Lord’s in 2004.
