500? It’s a matter of time says Alex
ALEX HALES believes it is only a matter of time before an England batsman joins the 200 club and a side smashes the 500 barrier in one-day cricket.
England narrowly failed to break the glass ceiling at Trent Bridge on Tuesday, amassing a record 481-6 against Australia.
Jonny Bairstow (139), and Hales, who topped the scoring with 147, left the field wondering if they had missed a golden chance to join an exclusive ODI double century club numbering just five – Rohit Sharma (three times), Martin Guptill, Virender Sehwag, Chris Gayle and Sachin Tendulkar.
But Hales says the increasingly unequal struggle between bat and ball will present another opportunity soon enough, maybe even in the fourth ODI at Durham today.
“A total of 500 is possible given the way the game is going now – the 50-overs game has changed so much even since the last World Cup, the standard has gone through the roof,” he said. “There were murmurs of it when Eoin
PROBABLE TEAMS
ENGLAND:
Roy, Bairstow, Hales, Root, Morgan (capt), Buttler (wkt), Moeen, Willey, Rashid, Plunkett, Wood.
Short, Head, Marsh, Stoinis, Finch, Maxwell, Paine (capt-wkt), Agar, K Richardson, J Richardson, Neser. Umpires: M Erasmus & M Gough TV Umpire: K Dharmasena Starts: 2pm TV: Sky Sports
AUSTRALIA: REPORTS Morgan came out between me and him, but Australia bowled quite well at the death. It was probably as good a chance as we’ve had but there’s no reason why it can’t happen.
“With regard to getting a double hundred, we have had chances. Jason Roy could have probably got it at Trent Bridge if he hadn’t been run out. He looked brilliant.
“But while it’s not something we really talk about day in, day out, that will take care of itself the way we’re heading as a team and a batting unit. I don’t think it’s far off.” England’s batting unit are travelling with some purpose towards the World Cup next summer and they have some of the most in-form individuals in the one-day game shooting for the double.
Roy holds the record for England with the 180 he hit against Australia at Melbourne in January and Hales’s best, the 171 against Pakistan at Trent Bridge in 2016, is only a few decent hits away.
Yet the dominance of bat over ball is not to everyone’s taste. Jimmy Anderson lamented a lack of competition in matches such as Tuesday’s, which England won by 242 runs.
“It’s been an incredible performance, you can’t take that away from England,” he said. “But from a purist’s point of view I want to see a close game, a battle between bat and ball.”
England could not be in a better position to exploit that tilting balance given the fact Hales might be rewarded for his 147 by being dropped when Ben Stokes returns against India next month.
“Stokesy is obviously going to slot back in – he’s one of the best all-rounders in the world – so it’s three of us fighting for two spots,” said Hales. “But a lot can change in a year. I’m just trying to stay confident.”
A top six of Roy, Bairstow, Joe Root, Morgan, Stokes and Jos Buttler with Hales pushing for a spot looks as strong as any country can boast.
Aussie coach Justin Langer, who played in a side boasting a top three of Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting, said: “Their top three are brutal and the way they’re playing is reminiscent of how we used to play in our day.”
Craig Overton and Sam Curran have been drafted in as bowling cover for today’s game, but it would be hard to break up the side who have crushed so many records. TAMMY BEAUMONT scored 116 as England Women set a new mark for the highest international Twenty20 score in a record 121-run win over South Africa at Taunton yesterday.
Danni Wyatt (56) and Beaumont, right, put on 147 for the opening wicket as England piled up 250-3 to smash New Zealand’s previous record of 216-1, which was only set in the morning on the same ground against the same opponents in this tri-series. Beaumont brought up three figures in 47 balls, England’s fastest T20 ton, striking 15 fours and two sixes before she was caught and bowled by Stacey Lackay for her third consecutive century in all formats. Katherine Brunt was promoted up the order and responded by striking a scintillating unbeaten 42 from 16 balls. South Africa managed just 129-6 in reply.