Highest ODI totals across five decades

Ever since its inception in 1971, cricket's first limited-overs format went through big changes over the past few decades. England set a new benchmark in the past decade with tall batting orders and powerful hitters dominating the games. They have broken the 400-run barrier thrice and were just two runs short of breaching the 500 mark on Friday at Amstelveen against Netherlands. 

This might have been unimaginable in its nascent 60-overs format played in all-whites and with the red ball where scores above 300 left fans awestruck. It was only after the first 50-over World Cup in 1987 that 300-plus looked possible even though the total was first achieved by England in the 1975 World Cup. When that became a common thing, it was the 350s which were considered unchaseable before Australia and South Africa broke the 400-run mark twice in the same match. In today's age of heavy cricket bats, smaller boundaries and inventive shots, totals above 400 are not a surprise anymore. We take a glimpse at the big totals across the past five decades.

1980s - West Indies 360/4 vs Sri Lanka (1987)

There might be countless others who could send the ball a long way, but none could replicate the swagger of Sir Vivian Richards in his prime. The legendary batter was in supreme touch in the 1987 World Cup Group B match against Sri Lanka at Karachi when he walked in on a hat-trick ball with the West Indies at 45/2. By the time he left, Windies were 343/4. He almost surpassed his highest ODI score of 189 as he smashed 16 boundaries and seven big sixes on his way to 181 off 125 balls. In reply, Sri Lanka were only able to manage 169/4 in 50 overs with only Arjuna Ranatunga scoring above fifty runs.

1990s - Sri Lanka 398/5 vs Kenya (1996)

Colorful uniforms and white balls were the norm by this time, but the introduction of fielding restrictions gave birth to a new breed of destructive batters and Sri Lankans were pioneers of this art. Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana redefined the role of an opener while Aravinda de Silva played some of his best cricket in the Islanders' maiden World Cup win in 1996. They feasted on minnows Kenya when they faced off in the group A clash at Kandy. After Jayasuriya (44 off 27 balls) and Kaluwitharana (33 off 18 balls) put up 83 runs quick time, Asanka Gurusinha (84) and De Silva (145 off 115 balls) took the Kenyans to the cleaners with a 183-run stand before captain Arjuna Ranatunga added 75 off just 40 balls at the end to take Sri Lanka two runs short of the 400 mark. Kenya on their part, fought through Steve Tikolo's 96 and Hitesh Modi's 41, but managed only 254/7 in 50 overs as Sri Lanka won by 144 runs.

2000s - Sri Lanka 443/9 vs Netherlands (2006)

2006 was a year when limited-overs batting touched new heights. After an entire decade since Sri Lanka's decimation of Kenya, three teams broke the 400-run barrier and the first two instances happened in the same match at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. Considered to be the greatest ODI of all time, Australia first scored 434/4 in 50 overs thanks to Ricky Ponting's 164. But Graeme Smith (90 off 55 balls), Herschelle Gibbs (175 off 111 balls) and Mark Boucher (50 not out off 43 balls) did the impossible as they guided South Africa to a 1-wicket victory off the final ball to post 438, surpassing Australia. In the same year, Sri Lanka toured an inexperienced Netherlands at Amstelveen to hand them a battering. Sanath Jayasuriya, smashed a 104-ball 157 while Tilakaratne Dilshan blazed his way to an unbeaten 117 off 78 balls. The Dutch bowlers further compounded their misery by bowling 21 wides and four no-balls as Sri Lanka set yet another highest total of 443/9 in 50 overs. The hosts were bundled out for 248 in 48.3 overs as Lanka won by 195 runs.

2010s - England 481/6 vs Australia (2018)

England, under the leadership of Eoin Morgan, emerged as one of the exciting limited-overs sides with a batting order that looked never ending. They had breached the 400-run mark and went past Sri Lanka's total against Pakistan in 2016 when they scored 444/3 in 50 overs at Trent Bridge. Two later at the same venue, they subjected arch-rivals Australia to the brutality of power hitting. It began the opening assault of Jason Roy (82 off 61 balls) and Jonny Bairstow (139 off 92 balls) who put 159 in 19.3 overs before Alex Hales (147 off 92 balls) took on the Aussie bowlers with 16 boundaries and 5 sixes. Captain Morgan then added six sixes and three boundaries in his 30-ball 67 as the hosts reached 481/6 in 50 overs. Besides Travis Head's 51 and Marcus Stoinis' 44, Australia were unable to mount any big fightback as they were skittled out for 239.

2020s - England 498/4 vs Netherlands (2022)

England rewrote their own record for the third time and claim the top three ODI totals for themselves. In the first ODI against Netherlands at Amstelveen on June 17, 2022, Eoin Morgan's side were short of the 500-run mark by just two runs. Jos Buttler scored a blazing 162 not out off just 70 balls while opener Phil Salt, playing his fourth ODI, smashed 122 off 93 balls. Dawid Malan added to the massive total with 125 off 109 balls while Liam Livingstone added six boundaries and as many sixes on his way to 66 not out off 22 balls.