England openers Will Jacks and Phil Salt went berserk at the top of the order in the third ODI against Ireland in Bristol today (September 26), smashing record after record with a brazen display of power-hitting.
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England took their traditionally aggressive approach to the extreme today with Salt leading the charge. The first three balls of the match produced three boundaries and 12 runs. If that was not a good enough start, the fourth was smashed over mid-wicket for six.
With 19 runs in the first over off Mark Adair, England equalled the world record for scoring the most runs in the first over of an ODI, matching South Africa’s feat from 2003 when Graeme Smith smashed 19 runs off a young James Anderson.
Salt and Jacks did not stop there. England reached 60 at the end of four overs, 66 at the end of five, and 84 at the end of six. No other side has ever scored more runs at the end of the first five or six overs of an ODI while batting first (where ball by ball data is available).
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Salt reached his fifty in the sixth over, off just 22 balls, making it the joint fourth-fastest ODI fifty by an English batter after Liam Livingstone (17 balls), Eoin Morgan (21 balls), Jonny Bairstow (21 balls), and level with Jos Buttler (22 balls). He was finally dismissed on the last ball of the seventh over. England’s score read 87-1, with Salt having contributed 61 off 28 balls.
The partnership run rate for the opening partnership between Salt and Jacks stood at 12.42. On the list of fastest 50-plus opening partnerships in ODI cricket, it comes sixth. But the five partnerships that are just above and just below this, all came in the second innings.
While batting first, this 42-ball opening partnership of 87 runs between Jacks and Salt is by far the quickest 50-plus opening partnership in ODI cricket history.
Salt’s knock of 61 off 28 balls (strike rate of 217.85) is now also the fastest 50-plus score by an opener while batting first in ODI cricket, going past Sanath Jayasuriya’s 134 off 65 balls against Pakistan in 1996 at a strike rate of 206.15.
His dismissal did not stop the flow of runs for England, as Jacks and Zak Crawley continued toying with the Ireland attack. At the end of 15 overs, England’s score read 145-2.
