Jos Buttler century helps England beat Pakistan in ODI at Southampton

On days such as this, when Jos Buttler treats opposition bowlers like his personal property, the World Cup cannot start soon enough.

England fans have grown used to his fireworks, but even by his own incendiary standards an unbeaten 110 from 55 balls to set up an unexpectedly tense victory over Pakistan in the second one-day international at Southampton was quite the sight.

Yet the tourists’ resourceful reply, in which opener Fakhar Zaman thrashed 138, also underlined the importance to England’s World Cup chances of Jofra Archer. And he wasn’t even playing. 

Jos Buttler scored an unbeaten century to help England beat Pakistan in Saturday’s ODI

Buttler and Eoin Morgan (right) ended England's innings not out with a partnership of 162

Buttler and Eoin Morgan (right) ended England’s innings not out with a partnership of 162

As Pakistan reached 227 for one in the 33rd over in pursuit of 374, Archer’s absence – part of the selectors’ rotation policy ahead of the final 15-man squad announcement on May 21 – looked as if it might prove a lesson learned the hard way.

And so his stature grew even while he was running the drinks, just as it did while he was sending down the fastest one-day spell for a decade by an England bowler during the rain-ruined game at The Oval on Wednesday.

Eoin Morgan’s seam attack, it must be said, feels vulnerable without him. David Willey did burnish his credentials with some clever bowling late on, but victory by 12 runs was what dressing-rooms politely describe as a ‘wake-up call’. Whether England need one of those with less than three weeks to go before their World Cup opener is another matter.

But on a day of 734 runs and 10 wickets, there were welcome performances from Jason Roy, who made a watchable 87 in his first game since suffering a back spasm, and fifties for Jonny Bairstow and Eoin Morgan. England’s total of 373 for three was their seventh-highest.

It was, though, the Buttler whodunnit. His was the kind of innings that could have been played in its entirety in the highlights package and not been out of place. There were nine sixes in all, the last eased over long-off to bring up a 50-ball century. Only one England player has got there more quickly: Buttler himself, of course – from 46 balls, also against Pakistan. 

The explosive Buttler hit nine sixes as England set a total of 373 for three at the Ageas Bowl

The explosive Buttler hit nine sixes as England set a total of 373 for three at the Ageas Bowl

England waited until the 15th over of the chase for a wicket when Moeen Alli got Imam-ul-Haq

England waited until the 15th over of the chase for a wicket when Moeen Alli got Imam-ul-Haq

He celebrated as any self-respecting new father would, rocking his bat in the direction of his baby daughter, Georgia, who was here with Buttler’s wife, Louise. But the gesture might just as well have been an allusion to the candy he had stolen from Pakistan’s bowlers. If he can repeat this form when the World Cup begins on May 30, an England side including Archer will be hard to beat. 

Remarkably, he did not get a bat until the 36th over, after England had been granted first use of a pristine Ageas Bowl surface. Root had just fallen for a steady 40 – the innings’ lowest score – and the total was 211. Promise, as well as grey clouds, hung in the south-coast air.

After a first-ball single, Buttler mowed 14 off the next three, all from leg-spinner Yasir Shah. He was up and running. His first 50 needed only 32 deliveries, his second 18. As one six followed another, members of the crowd were on higher alert than the Pakistan fielders.

Morgan was no slouch, finishing with 71 not out from 48 balls as the pair added 162 in 14.5 overs. But the captain hung back as the players left the field, allowing the Pakistanis to take turns shaking Buttler’s hands. He may get used to that in the weeks ahead.

Curiously, he did not even play the shot of the day. That honour belonged to Roy, in his first innings of any kind since April 23 – a stunning six, after a scratchy start, over extra cover off Fahim Ashraf. Only a miscued pull denied him a hundred. 

Fakhar Zaman top scored with 138 from 106 deliveries in Pakistan's reply before being caught

Fakhar Zaman top scored with 138 from 106 deliveries in Pakistan’s reply before being caught

Zaman's knock gave Pakistan strong platform and they came close to completing a huge chase

Zaman’s knock gave Pakistan strong platform and they came close to completing a huge chase

After Buttler, it was over to the bowlers for what seemed a routine defence of a mammoth total. Never before had England failed to protect anything bigger. Yet by the time Moeen Ali caught Imam-ul-Haq off his own bowling in the 15th over, Pakistan had scored 92 – and thrown down the gauntlet.

Fakhar, one of the stars of their 2017 Champions Trophy triumph, stepped up the pace, and the total was 227 before England struck again, technology ruling that he had toe-ended a swipe at Chris Woakes.

Ominously, Pakistan were keeping the required rate at nine an over, and England apparently craving not just the X-factor of Archer, but the variations of Tom Curran and the pace of Mark Wood, who will both feature later in the series.

Instead, they were grateful for the nous of left-armer Willey, who aimed wide of off stump from round the wicket to the right-handers, and dug the ball in to the lefties. The tactic brought him two for 17 from three overs, and possibly a ticket to the World Cup.

Liam Plunkett (9-0-64-2) may still have to earn his place, though he and Woakes (9-0-72-1) were steady under fire at the death. But if it was fairly obvious even before The Oval that Archer would stroll into the World Cup 15, it was blindingly so now. 

But England's players were celebrating at the end after Pakistan finished on 361 for seven

But England’s players were celebrating at the end after Pakistan finished on 361 for seven

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