After vaporising Australia at Trent Bridge, and demonstrating why sweets and sandpaper are seemingly this year’s must-have items for certain fielding teams, Alex Hales declared his belief that the 500-run barrier is ready to be broken in one-day cricket.
England’s world-record total of 481 for six on Tuesday – a gargantuan effort powered by Hales striking 147 from only 92 balls, Jonny Bairstow also blasting three figures and incendiary half-centuries from Jason Roy and Eoin Morgan – was a significant statement from a side with sights on lifting the World Cup at home next summer.
But, despite the delight at scorching past the 444 for three made against Pakistan in 2016, there was a mild pang of regret that a chance to crack 500 was missed, not least because the six Hales deposited into the Fox Road Stand to break the men’s record with 27 balls to spare was the last boundary off the bat during this pummelling.
Is such a feat nevertheless coming? “I think so,” replied Hales, still basking in the glow of his sixth ODI century. “Especially the way the 50-over game is going now, even since the last World Cup. The standard has gone through the roof. There were murmurs of it when Morgan came out to bat with me. Australia bowled quite well at the death so it wasn’t to be. It was as good a chance as we’ll have. But who knows? The way the game has progressed, there’s no reason why it can’t happen.”
For all the 21 sixes and 41 fours struck during the carnage – the former eclipsing the 18 by England during their entire World Cup campaign three years ago – the chances of 500 at the Riverside Ground on Thursday, as Morgan’s men look to extend their 4-0 lead in pursuit of a first series whitewash over Australia in any format, look slim.
Durham’s 353 for eight made against Nottinghamshire in 2014 is the highest List A score witnessed in the shadow of Lumley Castle, while the 305 for five that England compiled against New Zealand 10 years ago is still the international record. But given this team have no limits, according to Hales, then who knows?
Certainly the right-hander is desperate to produce more pyrotechnics himself, admitting his chances to impress are “gold dust” given he still expects to miss out when Ben Stokes, the all-rounder who offers Morgan an extra bowling option, returns from his hamstring injury.
Hales said: “I don’t think my situation has changed much. You’ve got Jonny, who’s got four hundreds in six games, and Jason who, when in form, is one of the best players in the world. It’s healthy competition and keeps everybody striving to improve. Being on the fringes, you’re about as hungry as you ever should be to string together good performances.”
Two such fringe players could get their chance on Thursday if Tom Curran and Jake Ball come in to give Liam Plunkett and Mark Wood a breather in light of the 48-hour turnaround (regretfully so, given they both came through the Durham system). Sam Curran and Craig Overton have also been called up for this and Sunday’s finale in Manchester.
Australia must surely consider moving Aaron Finch back to open, giving the reserve wicketkeeper, Alex Carey, a game as a specialist batsman and perhaps drawing on Nathan Lyon’s experience with the ball.
Their head coach, Justin Langer, has admitted it is time to be a “dad” rather than a “headmaster” with his players, not least as regards Andrew Tye after the seamer shipped 100 runs from nine overs to record his country’s second most expensive figures after the 113 plundered off Mick Lewis by South Africa at the Wanderers in 2006.
Langer said: “That is literally England at their best. It’s no fluke that they are No 1 in the world. I was in Johannesburg when Australia made [434 for four] and South Africa got them, but that was just brutal. Hopefully our young guys learn from it. It doesn’t get harder than that.”
