30/8/16 England’s Alex Hales celebrates his century Action Images via Reuters / Paul Childs Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY.
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Both teams made changes from Tuesday’s match at Trent Bridge in Nottingham, where England piled up 444 for three – the highest total in any one-day worldwide – as they won by 169 runs.
England won the toss and elected to bat first on a pitch which had hardly anything for the bowlers.
Stokes missed the eight-wicket win over Sri Lanka in July, but will be back in action at Old Trafford after playing his part in the one-day worldwide series triumph over Pakistan.
But with England’s other Trent Bridge big-hitter Buttler absent, his replacement Bairstow set about making up the shortfall.
Hales was past his hundred by the time Azhar had a chance of revenge, but he put down a sharp chance at extra-cover off Yasir Shah. At the half-way mark, England were 166 for one.
The classy Root continued to find the gaps easily, while a boundary from Hales gave him the best score by an England batsman in an ODI before Hasan finally ended his magnificent knock by trapping him leg before with the next ball.
“It s a special feeling, particularly for a team that s still improving”, added Hales, whose innings finally overhauled Robin Smith s 167 not out against Australia at Edgbaston back in 1993 as England s highest individual ODI score.
But one more precious four later, Hales was pinned in the crease – sparking a second standing ovation in a matter of minutes, as he walked off. Root fell in the next over, edging behind off Nawaz. England were 283 for three by the end of 38 overs.
A stand of 248 for the second wicket between Hales and Joe Root (85), fireworks from Buttler and Eoin Morgan’s unbeaten 57 were too much for Pakistan.
The left-hander’s fifty took just 22 balls – the same as Buttler and he reached the landmark with three successive well-struck sixes off leg-spinner Adil Rashid.
Buttler and Morgan then shredded Pakistan’s bowling in the last dozen overs. That surpassed the previous record of 443/9 by Sri Lanka against the Netherlands at Amstelveen in 2006. England decided not to take a review even though the replays indicated that the ball would have gone on to crash the stumps.
The bowlers then completed the job, with Chris Woakes taking 4/41 as Pakistan’s resistance was broken and the tourists were bowled out for 275. His innings comprised of seven fours and as many sixes.
But he was merely delaying the inevitable and Amir was last man out when caught and bowled by Woakes.
England’s total against Pakistan overtakes Sri Lanka’s record set ten years ago against Holland.
“If the boys keep batting the way they are, you can never say never – but it would be a really freakish day”.
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England therefore have an unassailable 3-0 Royal London Series lead, with the first of two remaining matches at Headingley on Thursday, and are unbeaten in their nine white-ball fixtures this summer.
