Alex Hales’ top 10 England performances
Alex Hales' England Return
Following Alex Hales’ official clearing by police after his involvement in the infamous incident in Bristol with Ben Stokes, he is now back in contention for an England place. But Trevor Bayliss has said incumbent openers Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy are likely to retain their places. Here are 10 of Hales’ best performances in an England shirt that make the case for his inclusion.
99 v West Indies, June 24, 2012
In the solitary T20I against the West Indies at Trent Bridge, Hales used his home ground advantage to blast England to victory. He fell just a run short of his century on 99, but had done more than enough by then.
80 v New Zealand, February 15, 2013
Chasing a meagre 140 to seize the T20I series against New Zealand in Wellington seemed a reasonable, yet not too challenging prospect for England. Instead of strolling to the total, Alex Hales and Michael Lumb knocked the runs off in 12.4 overs, Hales bludgeoning his way to 80 from 42 deliveries in an innings that included nine fours and and six sixes. A display of strength, style and sheer superiority.
94 v Australia, August 31, 2013
Four years ago, in a team comprised of the likes of Ravi Bopara, Luke Wright and Michael Lumb, Hales displayed some masterful stroke-play in England’s second T20 against Australia at Chester-le-Street. He hit 94 from 61 deliveries; an explosive knock that helped England to a matchwinning 190-run total.
116 v Sri Lanka, March 27, 2014
Chasing a very strong total of 190 in Chittagong in the group stage of the World T20, Hales hit England’s first century in the format as England won by six wickets with four balls remaining. His unbeaten 116 came from just 64 deliveries, including a whopping six sixes and seven fours. An astonishing innings.
112 v South Africa, February 14, 2016
Despite England losing the match and subsequently losing the series after having a 2-0 lead, the 5th ODI in Cape Town against South Africa helped demonstrate once again how vital Alex Hales was to England’s cause. His 112 was a country mile clear of Stokes’ 29, the second top score, as England slumped to 236 and South Africa knocked off the runs in 44 overs. Hales’ dominant century completed a series in which he had scored at least a half-century in every single game, scoring 383 runs.
86 v Sri Lanka, May 19, 2016
In the opening Test of the series at home to Sri Lanka in 2016, Hales set the tone with a hard-fought 86 on a Headingley pitch which proved to be troublesome. England were dismissed for 298, and proceeded to skittle their opponents for 91 and 119, winning the game by an innings and 88 runs.
83 v Sri Lanka, 27th May 2016
In the second Test against Sri Lanka in Durham, it looked dead-on that Hales would go to a first Test hundred. Again, though, he fell in the eighties. He put on 96 with Joe Root and dished out some trademark off-side strokes before falling 17 short of a ton.
94 v Sri Lanka, June 12, 2016
In a series which was already over and won, the third Test against Sri Lanka at Lord’s was heading towards a rain-affacted draw, and England had to rush to a big enough second innings total to declare and allow themselves a day to bowl their opponents out. Hales’ highest Test score came on this day, as his teammates faltered around him. The game petered out to a draw, and it was the closest Hales has come to a Test hundred.
133 v Sri Lanka, June 24, 2016
Another record-breaking day for Alex Hales. Chasing 254 in an ODI against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston, Alex Hales and Jason Roy slapped the ball around for fun and knocked the runs off without the loss of a wicket inside 35 overs. This hugely impressive feat broke the record for the highest ODI run-chase without losing a single wicket. Hales’ 133 came off just 110 balls.
171 v Pakistan, August 30, 2016.
On what was a monumental day for England cricket records, Hales smashed the highest ever score by an Englishman in ODIs. He hit a mammoth 171 from 122 deliveries at his usual stomping ground, Trent Bridge, against Pakistan. Jos Buttler also hit the fastest ever England fifty (22 balls) and England notched their highest ever ODI score (444).