Jos Buttler costs Netherlands over £1k in cricket balls after smashing sixes

England star Jos Buttler has cost Cricket Netherlands over £1,000 in cricket balls, as the wicketkeeper smashed a whole host of sixes around the park in Amsterdam. Buttler played a starring role, as England thumped the Netherlands by 232 runs on Friday.

From the off the reigning World Cup champions asserted their dominance, and notched up a record-breaking total of 498 from their 50 overs. Within the hammering there were a number of milestones including centuries by Phil Salt and Dawid Malan, as well as a rapid 50 for recent IPL star Liam Livingstone.

The pick of England’s power hitting no doubt came from Buttler though, who smashed an unbeaten 162 from just 70 balls, the second quickest 150 in ODI history.

During his demolition innings, the Lancashire wicketkeeper crashed a remarkable 14 sixes, with many of his maximums being hit into the bushes surrounding the Amsterdam ground, forcing the Dutch fielders into a ball hunt – an image usually synonymous with amateur club cricket.

More often than not Buttler’s big hits were not found, forcing the home side to provide a new ball which has reportedly set them back over £1,000. BBC reporter Henry Moeran wrote on Twitter: "According to the Kookaburra website, an international white ball costs £120. By my count Jos Buttler has sent 9 out of the ground never to be seen again. That’s over £1,000 worth of cricket balls."

Following the record-breaking innings, the Dutch unsurprisingly fell well short, but still put in a more than respectable performance after being bowled out for 266 with two balls left of their 50 overs.

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The game will of course be remembered for England’s hard-hitting first innings effort, having fallen just two runs short of the 500 mark – a feat never reached in ODI cricket.

Despite falling short of the giant landmark in game one, former player Mark Butcher believes 500 is well within the tourists’ reach in the remaining two games of the series.

He told Sky Sports: “It was quite something wasn’t it? At times you felt a bit sorry for some of the Netherlands bowlers, but it is worth bearing in mind that England breaking their previous record of 481 was scored against Australia, so it isn’t only the associate teams that they are doing this to.

“It has become a real habit for them. Most sixes in an innings, highest list A score of all time and like a lot of golfers who have had a good round, could be sat up in the dressing room thinking ‘we left a few out there. There were little periods of play where they could have put their foot down a bit more.

“Eoin Morgan made a duck, Liam Livingstone didn’t get in until about six or seven overs to go. There are two games left still to go in this series, England might think 500 is well within reach if they get another chance to do it.”

Buttler and co will look to break that target in their final two matches in the Netherlands, with the first taking place on Sunday June 19 and Wednesday June 22.

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