Eng 330-6 (Buttler 98, Moeen 3)published at 48.5 overs

48.5 overs

What can you do when Buttler is batting like this? You need fielders with jet-packs. He carts Anwar over long off for another six - his seventh, tying Andrew Flintoff's England record...

Anwar Ali with the ball. Oh, that's monstrous from Buttler, too short from the bowler - Buttler stands, waits cold-bloodedly, and unleashes a brutal swing of the willow, sending the ball arcing through the night sky and into the stands. The century is on.

Vic Marks
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

"It looks like they're going to get 100 from the last 10 - they only need 11 from the last two overs."

Buttler gets hold of a yorker but sends the ball crashing into the timbers at the other end. Anywhere else and it was four.

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Buttler's got to go some to get three figures. He needs 23 from maybe 10 balls. Tell you what though, he's in the game. Again he finds the gap, steered down to third man for four. Then off the next ball, he slices it in the air - he looks gone for all money, but the ball lands between three fielders. Is it his day?

Vic Marks
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

"There's 306 on the board with three overs left, England might not quite make the most of this if they're not careful. But they should make a total which they're capable of defending."

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Jack Anderson: Brilliant batting by Buttler, love it when he plays like this. He might need some time out of the Test team but he'll be back.

Ian Bradley: Buttler is an extraordinary talent, he's reverted to playing on instinct, cleared his mind.

James Boswell: Buttler dropped from the Test side and look how he's playing now! Just the tonic he needed!

We're in fastest hundred territory here, ladies and gents. The record, unsurprisingly, is held by a certain Mr J Buttler, with a 61-ball effort against Sri Lanka. Utter impudence from Buttler, flamboyantly paddling Irfan over his shoulder for four. No team has ever chased over 300 in the UAE...

Vic Marks
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

"I can see a wry smile on Eoin Morgan's face, along the lines of 'It was a great idea to bat Buttler at four'. It can only take one innings for him to get back into this sort of form."

Jonathan Agnew
BBC Test Match Special

Image source, Getty Images

"That's an amazing shot. He literally did not move his feet - and swung the bat to reverse-sweep an 80mph bowler for four. A ridiculous shot."

That is pure artistry from Buttler - a glorious, silken-wristed reverse-sweep from right off his stumps. A shot of extraordinary virtuosity, played so casually that he didn't even move his feet. Hang that in a gallery.

There's more to come. Much more. Buttler smears an effortless pull into the stands, then smites a full toss into the same area with brutal grace. Beautiful carnage.

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Buttler is motoring here - he pulls Anwar Ali for four. This by the way, is his first international fifty since his 129 against New Zealand in the ODI at Edgbaston in June.

Vic Marks
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

"There's a parallel here - England were 227-2 in the second ODI in Abu Dhabi with 10 overs left, and only added 56 for the loss of three wickets. Let's see what they can add here."

50 for Buttlerpublished at 45 overs

45 overs

Eng 276-4

Wahab comes back well with a cleverly disguised slower ball, but England continue to show their intent - great running brings them two off a flick to long on, and a single off the last ball brings up Buttler's 50. What a superb return it has been from the keeper.

Eng 273-4published at 44.3 overs

44.3 overs

It's great to see Buttler play like this again. Picking length, opening his shoulders, his muscly forearms rippling with violent intent on the slow-motion replays. He carves Wahab over the covers for four, then bludgeons him over the rope at midwicket for a maximum!

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Has Azhar Ali got his maths wrong here? Wahab Riaz has only bowled six overs so far, which means that he won't get through his full complement of 10. 

Here's a more simple sum: short ball + Buttler slog = 4. And Buttler doubles the dose with an extraordinary shot, going to play the ramp shot and changing it the last minute to flick the ball down to fine leg. And another boundary off the final ball of the over as Buttler bludgeons Irfan behind backward point. This is as well as I've seen Buttler play for months...

Jonathan Agnew
BBC Test Match Special

Image source, Getty Images

"A chap in a blazer was in the perfect position to take that catch - hands up, pretty good technique - and he shelled it. It burst through his hands. A great six from Buttler, though."