England smash world record as they batter Aussies
Astonishing, truly astonishing. so effortlessly brutal were England in demolishing their own world record yesterday they might be tempted to ask if they could play Australia every week. or at least request more visits to scotland to find someone to give them a decent game.
Flippancy aside, this was a batting performance that had everything from an England side who appeared to be going off the boil in defeat in Edinburgh and even in their two opening victories over Australia in this series.
not now. not after they amassed 481 for six in 50 overs of carnage with a fourth century in six games from Jonny Bairstow, a hundred for the underpressure Alex hales and Eoin Morgan’s fastest 50 from an England batsman.
it left Australia, already beaten in this Royal London series, so broken they crashed to 239 in reply. the 242-run margin was England’s largest one- day victory, and Australia’s worst defeat.
how the Aussies must hate playing at this ground. it was here they were bowled out for 60 on an unforgettable Ashes day three years ago and now they conceded the highest score in one-day international history. And to think there will be no Ashes test at trent Bridge next year. What an ECB own goal.
But this is not the day for negativity. this is a day to celebrate the remarkable transformation in England’s whiteball cricket that reached a new high when, with 27 balls to go, they surpassed their own record of 444 for three made here two years ago. they really should have reached 500.
England smashed 21 sixes — three more than they managed in the entire 2015 World Cup — and 41 fours on this perfect batting pitch. And all after new Aussie captain tim Paine had elected to bowl.
First there was 139 from Bairstow in a first-wicket stand of 159 that would have been even higher had Jason Roy not run himself out.
how different this might have been had Bairstow’s lbw ‘dismissal’ for 27 off Ashton Agar been upheld by technology or if Marcus stoinis had been able to hold a difficult running catch when the Yorkshireman was on 30. instead Bairstow hit five sixes in his 92-ball stay, going to three figures in the grand manner off D’Arcy short.
then came hales, who had talked ahead of this third one- day international of the need to produce something special to match his 171 here against Pakistan two years ago just to keep his place in this extraordinary side. how he provided it with 147, also off 92 balls, and also with five enormous sixes, one off Agar taking him past 50 and another off Jhye Richardson catapulting England beyond their own world record.
the question now is how can England possibly leave hales out when Ben stokes returns from injury? But how, the selectors might ask, can they possibly squeeze him in when everyone is available to them? the whispers had already started yesterday that captain Morgan might be the man to go even though his leadership has been integral to the rise and rise of England to become favourites for their own World Cup next year.
Well, Morgan soon put paid to that one when he promoted himself above Joe Root and put the cream on England’s rich cake by reaching 50 off just 21 balls, one fewer than Jos Buttler’s England record. the captain, who passed ian Bell to become England’s most prolific one- day runmaker, is going nowhere yet.
When England had made 253 for one after 30 overs and again when they were on 436 for three off 45, the once impossible figure of 500 was firmly in view but it was when Morgan was out they made their only mistake.
Root may be England’s best batsman but he is no slogger, so it would have been better to put David Willey or Liam Plunkett in at seven ahead of him. instead England managed 22 off their last 15 balls.
no matter. this is a desperately poor Australia side, as reflected by their record of just two wins in their last 16 one-day internationals, and Paine did not help here by letting the game drift and seeming confused in his bowling plans and field settings.
Australia, with Aaron Finch still stuck at five rather than opening, were never in with a chance even though travis head got them off to a decent start. it was all over by the 37th over, spin again proving crucial, with seven wickets shared between Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali.
England, then, are three up with two to play and pushing to complete their first 5-0 one-day whitewash of the old enemy to follow their 4-1 success in Australia last winter. if they play like this at Durham tomorrow and Manchester on sunday there is no doubt about that. BEn stokEs was yesterday left out of England’s squad for the twenty20 internationals against Australia and india but could be added after he completes his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury.