Jos Buttler needs to score a half-century in ODIs to surpass Ian Bell on elite list

England batter Jos Buttler is in decent form when it comes to one-day cricket. Though the Three Lions recently recorded a narrow 5-run defeat to South Africa in the ongoing three-match series, the 34-year-old performed well with the bat and played a brilliant knock of 61 runs from 51 deliveries.

Buttler's stellar inning against the Proteas in the second ODI included three boundaries and sixes each and got England incredibly close to reaching the target of 331. However, they would eventually fall short of just 5 runs and would finish their 50 overs on 325/9.

The half-century against South Africa was Buttler's 39th fifty-plus score in ODIs and it saw him equal Ian Bell as the England cricketer with the third-most fifty-plus scores in the history of the format. Now he needs to score one more half-century in order to surpass Bell on the elite list.

Here is a list of England cricketers with the most fifty-plus scores in ODIs -

1. Joe Root - 61 scores

2. Eoin Morgan - 55 scores

3. Ian Bell - 39 scores

4. Jos Buttler - 39 scores

5. Kevin Pietersen - 34 scores

Though England have already lost the ongoing one-day series against South Africa by getting defeated in the first two matches, Buttler will be looking to make the most out of the third match and will be hoping to contribute well with the bat. The third and final ODI of the series is set to be played in Southampton on September 7.

Meanwhile, Buttler has a stellar record for England when it comes to the one-day format. He is currently the fourth-highest run-getter for the Men in Blue in ODIs and is behind the likes of Root, Morgan and Bell respectively. In 192 matches so far in the format, the 34-year-old has scored 5350 runs, including 28 half-centuries and 11 centuries.