Jos Buttler urges England to strive for better and break 500-run barrier

Jos Buttler wants England to keep striving to get better and push through the 500-run barrier in one-day internationals after their world record 498 for four against the Netherlands.

Buttler gave an exhibition in boundary hitting, thumping 14 of England’s record 26 sixes, in his unbeaten 162 off just 70 balls as Eoin Morgan’s side set a new benchmark in ODI and List A cricket.

On a baking hot day in Amstelveen, there were ironic cheers of “boring, boring England” from a sizeable travelling contingent that made up the bulk of the crowd of around 6,000 supporters.

But after a 232-run win to go 1-0 up in the three-match series in Matthew Mott’s first game since becoming white-ball head coach, Buttler says England will endeavour to continue pushing the envelope.

“We’ll keep trying but it’s a tough thing to try and achieve,” he said. “We’ll have to play on a belting wicket at a small ground but the biggest thing, irrelevant of the score, is the mentality we show as a team.

“We keep trying to better that and keep trying to be aggressive and brave when we play. The same message is for the team is we keep trying to push the boundaries, take the game forward and take the game on.”

Buttler was shuffled up the order to number four following a 222-run partnership between Phil Salt and Dawid Malan, both of whom made centuries, and he carried on the sparkling form that led to him being this year’s Indian Premier League most valuable player and top run-scorer at the VRA Cricket Ground.

He missed out on breaking his own record for the fastest century by an England batter by just one ball, reaching three figures from 47 deliveries, but was not reflecting on what might have been.

“This is the most fun environment I’ve ever played in and