Paine for Australia in record defeat
Australia captain Tim Paine has described his team’s record ODI defeat to England as ‘‘the hardest day’s cricket of my life’’.
After winning the toss and putting England in to bat at Trent Bridge, Australia’s bowlers were put to the sword as England clubbed a men’s ODI record total of 481-6. Australia would fail in pursuit, all out for 239.
The 242-run loss was Australia’s heaviest one-day international defeat, usurping a 206-run loss to New Zealand in Adelaide 32 years ago.
England batsmen Jonny Bairstow (139 from 92 balls) and Alex Hales (147 from 92 balls) led the charge for England as they plundered 21 sixes.
Speaking afterwards, Paine reflected on how it all went wrong.
‘‘I’ve been playing cricket since I was a kid and that is the hardest day’s cricket of my life,’’ he said.
‘‘Everything we tried didn’t work and everything they tried came off. Normally that happens for an hour or two and you get a wicket. To go on for as long as we did . . . you have to take your hat off to them, they hit the ball as well I have seen.’’
‘‘Hindsight is a wonderful thing,’’ he said. ‘‘I don’t think conditions or the wicket had anything to do with that result. We just ran into some guys that are red-hot at the moment and they put us to the sword a bit. The wicket was still terrific when we batted on it as well. We just didn’t execute well.
‘‘I thought I had a few headaches after being hit on the head in the last game at around the 25 over mark but I had a few more today to be honest.’’
The 481-run total eclipsed the
444-3 England posted against Pakistan in 2016 at the same ground. It did not top the White Ferns’ women’s ODI record of
490-4 set against Ireland this month.
The emphatic victory handed England an unassailable 3-0 series lead. 481-6: 444-3: 443-9: 439-2: 438-4: 438-9: 434-4: 418-5: 418-5: 417-6: