Roy piles on Aussie pain

cause for concern. They are all batting with the confidence provided from huge firepower above and below them in the order.

Hales and Buttler skipped to the target with nine fours and a six in the last 27 balls. Buttler smashed a quick 54 – his half-century coming in 28 balls.

This chase was the secondbiggest by an England side, behind only the 350 they knocked off against New Zealand at Trent Bridge in 2015.

This was the highest opening partnership by Roy and Bairstow since the previous high against Australia at Trent Bridge on Wednesday. It was also the highest score on the ground ever posted (as was Australia’s first innings incidentally), bettering the 307-5 by England against New Zealand in 2008.

Australia might have fancied their chances at the halfway mark after centuries from both Aaron Finch (100) and Shaun Marsh (101) and a half-century by Travis Head.

But looking back they might wonder how they went from the 11th over to the 33rd with only four boundaries. It was a becalmed period – and one which it is hard to imagine England slipping into. Marsh’s stop-start innings contained all the contradictions of the Australia effort.

He was out to a superb relay catch from Roy running around the boundary, taking the ball and despatching it to debutant Craig Overton before he crossed the line.

Paine said: “We came here with an inexperienced side. It’s not an excuse but England are the best side in the world and really hard to beat.”