England make world record one-day score against Australia as Eoin Morgan's side crushes rivals
-
Loading... - Jan Willis
- 20 Jun 2021
- 1402 Views
- 0 Like
- 0 Comment
Eoin Morgan's one day revolution was crystallised in a world record exhibition of power and ruthlessness – and he was at the heart of it.
England humiliated this woeful Australian side by breaking their own runs record and smashing 481-6 on the same ground where they set the previous bar of 444 against Pakistan in 2016.
Alex Hales and Jonny Bairstow smashed twin tons in the win by 242 runs, a record margin for both England and Australia to give the home side an unassailable 3-0 series lead.
And by becoming England's highest ever one day run scorer during his innings of 67, Morgan's place in white-ball history has been secured.
No-one has done more to turn the spluttering one day ship around than captain Morgan. He has been consistent in his demand for fearless cricket and he practiced what he preaches by smashing the quickest fifty by an England player from just 21 balls.
“That's as close to a perfect performance as we've put in,” said Morgan. “It is the best performance we've had from this team by a stretch.
“With where we got to with six overs to go, we never thought we'd come this close and stare down the barrel of scoring 500. It was an opportunity missed, but it's a day to be proud.
“The intensity was at a level throughout the whole game that we've not had before and there were some incredible performances.
“Everyone is contributing and it is important that I do so as well as a leader. I struck the ball well and it is a young man's game, so it is nice to show that I can keep up with them.”
Morgan's fireworks were just part of an incredible package of bold strokeplay and clean-hitting with Alex Hales and Jonny Bairstow plundering twin tons, while Jason Roy helped himself to 82.
In a dizzying array of six hitting that produced 21 maximums, more than England managed in the entirety of their 2015 World Cup campaign, the Nottingham crowd were given a treat, even if they were taking their lives in their hands sitting in the stands as balls rained down on them.
It didn't matter which bowler skipper Tim Paine turned to, the result was the same as they were slapped to all parts of this famous old ground.
“I thought I had a headache last game when I got hit in the face by the ball,” said Paine. “But this was something else, I have never experienced anything like this in all the cricket I have played since I was a kid.”
The batsmen stole the show, but the follow up from the bowlers is also worth a mention with spin twins Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid sharing seven wickets as Australia came third in a two-horse race.
