The highest scores in ODI history after England shatter world record

England have the top three scores in ODI history

Alex Hales, left, celebrates his century against Australia in 2018, in England’s then world record 481 for six (Mike Egerton/PA) (PA Archive)

England’s total of 498 for four against the Netherlands was a world record for both one-day internationals and all List A cricket.

The assault in Amstelveen, powered by centuries from Jos Buttler, Phil Salt and Dawid Malan, means England broke their own previous record of 481 and now have the top-three totals in ODI history.

Here we look at those innings and the rest of the top 10.

498 for four v Netherlands, 2022

Jason Roy fell in the second over but Salt and Malan put on 222 for the second wicket to lay a firm platform for a final 20 overs of total carnage.

Buttler’s 47-ball hundred was one delivery outside his own England record – and made it only the third ODI innings in history to feature three tons, with South Africa posting the previous two and AB De Villiers contributing to both.

Buttler and Liam Livingstone then took 84 off the final five overs, Buttler finishing 162 not out and Livingstone one ball away from De Villiers’ world record for the fastest ODI fifty on his way to 66 from 22 balls.

England’s total also beat Surrey’s List A record of 496 for four against Gloucestershire in 2007.

481 for six v Australia, 2018

Openers Roy and Jonny Bairstow put on 159 inside 20 overs at Trent Bridge and, after Roy fell for 82, Alex Hales joined fellow centurion Bairstow in a stand of 151.

Buttler made just 11 on that occasion but captain Eoin Morgan crashed 67 off 30 balls, including six sixes, as he and Hales put on 124 before falling to successive deliveries.

England then bowled Australia out for 239 to win by 242 runs, a national record margin.

444 for three v Pakistan, 2016

Hales went big against Pakistan at Trent Bridge (Tim Goode/PA) (PA Archive)

Hales was the key man in another Trent Bridge masterclass, smashing 171 off 122 balls – an England record at the time, since broken by Roy with 180.

He dominated a stand of 248 with Joe Root (85) before Buttler and Morgan powered to 90 and 57 respectively in an unbroken fourth-wicket partnership of 161.

Three early wickets for Chris Woakes soon snuffed out Pakistan’s reply and they limped to 275 all out in 42.4 overs as England won by 169 runs.

Best of the rest

Herschelle Gibbs got the better of Australia in a memorable match (Matthew Impey/PA) (PA Archive)

Sri Lanka have the highest ODI total by any nation other than England – also against the Netherlands at Amstelveen, with Sanath Jayasuriya and Tillakaratne Dilshan hitting hundreds in a score of 443 for nine and an eventual 195-run win.

South Africa occupy the next three places on the list with 439 for two against the West Indies in 2015 – with centuries for Hashim Amla, Rilee Rossouw and De Villiers – and two scores of 438.

The first of those came in a memorable one-wicket win over Australia in 2006, in which Australia’s 434 for four ranks eighth among all ODI totals. Ricky Ponting hit 164 in that innings before Herschelle Gibbs drove the chase with 175 and Mark Boucher added a decisive unbeaten half-century.

Quinton De Kock, Faf Du Plessis and De Villiers all made centuries in the Proteas’ 438 for four against India in 2015, while the top 10 is completed by scores of 418 by South Africa against Zimbabwe in 2006 and India against the West Indies in 2011 – both five wickets down – with England alongside thanks to 418 for six against the Windies in 2019.