England blast record 444 against Pak

NOTTINGHAM, August 30

England piled up a world record One-day International total of 444/3 against Pakistan after Alex Hales and Jos Buttler ran riot at a sun-kissed Trent Bridge on Tuesday. Buttler struck the last ball of the innings for four to take Eoin Morgan's men past Sri Lanka's 443/9 against the Netherlands in July 2006. Hales plundered 171, the highest individual limited-overs score by an England batsman, before Buttler reached his fifty off 22 deliveries, also an England record.

The hosts passed their previous highest total of 408/9, made against New Zealand last year. Hales flayed four sixes and 22 fours in his 122-ball knock to surpass Robin Smith's 167 not out against Australia in Birmingham in 1993. Caught off a no-ball on 72 and dropped on 114, the 27-year-old right-hander passed Smith's score by pulling Hasan Ali to the mid-wicket boundary.

The bowler trapped him lbw with the next delivery to end a second-wicket stand of 248 with Joe Root, who fell soon after for 85, but the pain was far from over for the Pakistan bowlers. Buttler finished 90 not out off 51 balls while Morgan ended unbeaten on 57. — Reuters

Brief scores: England 444/3 (Hales 171, Buttler 90*, Root 85, Morgan 57*); Pakistan