ENGLAND SMASH ODI RECORD BY SCORING 481 AGAINST AUSTRALIA

England extended their own world record in Oneday International cricket by 37 runs after smashing the highestever total of 481-6 against Australia in the third ODI on Tuesday.

No. 3 batsman Alex Hales hit 16 fours and five sixes in reaching 147 off 92 balls, and opener Jonny Bairstow scored 139 — also off 92 deliveries — in his fourth ODI century in the last six games.

England, who lead the fivematch series 2-0, held the previous record when they scored 444-3 against Pakistan in 2016 at the same Trent Bridge ground.

Bairstow’s opening partner, Jason Roy, hammered 82 and missed out on a second successive century before captain Eoin Morgan hit England’s quickest ODI half-century with 67 off 30 deliveries. Morgan became England’s all-time leading scorer in the 50-over format with 6,187 ODI runs.

Australian captain Tim Paine won the toss and chose to field, but the decision backfired spectacularly. Seamer Andrew Tye finished on 0-100 off nine overs.

Fast bowler Jhye Richardson took three for 92 when he dismissed Hales and Morgan off successive deliveries in his last over.

Hales’s knock should now cement his place in the side as hosts try to settle the World Cup players’ pool. Hales has scored six centuries in the past three years but, having relinquished his opening spot last summer following the Bristol nightclub incident and with Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow blazing a trail as the first-choice pairing, he was under fire and had to deliver.

“I’m on the fringes and any chance I can get it’s up to me to convert big runs and put some pressure on Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow,” Hales had said ahead of this match.