NOTTINGHAM: England broke their own all-time record for the highest total ever scored in a men’s One-day International when they posted 481 for six against Australia at Trent Bridge here on Tuesday.

When Alex Hales, who already had a hundred to his name, hoisted Jhye Richardson for six in the 46th over it meant England had broken their previous world record total of this level — also set at Trent Bridge — of 444 for three against Pakistan in 2016.

Hales, who made 171 against Pakistan in that game, eventually holed out for 147 on his Nottinghamshire home ground after opener Jonny Bairstow had made 139.

Eoin Morgan, England’s ODI captain, became the country’s highest run-scorer in this format during a 21-ball fifty — the fastest by any England batsman in terms of balls faced -- on his way to 67.

At one stage it seemed 2019 World Cup hosts England might become the first side in the 4,011 match history of men’s ODIs to score 500.

But their chances of achieving that feat effectively ended when Hales and Morgan were dismissed off successive deliveries to leave them 459 for five off 47.3 overs.

Australia captain Tim Paine, who won the toss, used eight bowlers but was unable to stem the torrent of runs.

Hales hit 16 fours and five sixes in 92-ball innings and Bairstow struck 115 fours and five sixes while also facing 92 deliveries. Bairstow’s opening partner Jason Roy hammered 82 in the first-wicket partnership of 159.

An Australia attack missing injured Ashes-winning fast bowlers Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, were smashed to all corners of Trent Bridge with medium-pacer Andrew Tye’s nine wicketless overs costing 100 runs.

Morgan returned to lead the side after a back spasm saw him Sunday’s game with Sam Billings dropping out of the XI led to victory by stand-in skipper Jos Buttler in Cardiff.

Australia too made just the one change, with fast bowler Billy Stanlake, fit again after a toe injury, replacing fellow paceman Kane Richardson.

England lead this five-match series against world champions Australia 2-0.

Highest totals in ODIs

481-6 — England vs Australia at Trent Bridge, 2018

444-3 — England vs Pakistan at Trent Bridge, 2016

443-9 — Sri Lanka vs Netherlands at Amstelveen, 2006

439-2 — South Africa vs West Indies at Johannesburg, 2015

438-9 — South Africa vs Australia at Johannesburg, 2006

438-4 — South Africa vs India at Mumbai, 2015

434-4 — Australia vs South Africa at Johannesburg, 2006

418-5 — India vs West Indies at Indore, 2011

418-5 — South Africa vs Zimbabwe at Potchefstroom, 2006

417-6 — Australia vs Afghanistan at Perth, 2015

Scoreboard

ENGLAND:

J.J. Roy run out 82

J.M. Bairstow c Richardson b Agar 139

A.D. Hales c Agar b Richardson 147

J.C. Buttler c Finch b Richardson 11

E.J.G. Morgan c Paine b Richardson 67

Moeen Ali run out 11

J.E. Root not out 4

D.J. Willey not out 1

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-8, W-7, NB-3) 19

TOTAL (for six wkts, 50 overs) 481

FALL OF WKTS: 1-159, 2-310, 3-335, 4-459, 5-459, 6-480.

DID NOT BAT: L.E. Plunkett, A.U. Rashid, M.A. Wood.

BOWLING: Stanlake 8-0-74-0 (1w); Richardson 10-1-92-3; Agar 10-0-70-1 (2w); Tye 9-0-100-0 (2nb, 1w); Maxwell 2-0-21-0; Stoinis 8-0-85-0 (1nb, 2w); Finch 1-0-7-0; Short 2-0-23-0.

AUSTRALIA: T.M. Head, D.J.M. Short, S.E. Marsh, M.P. Stoinis, G.J. Maxwell, A.J. Finch, T.D. Paine, A.C. Agar, A.J. Tye, J.A. Richardson, B. Stanlake.

UMPIRES: R.T. Robinson (England) and H.D.P.K. Dharmasena (Sri Lanka).

TV UMPIRE: M. Erasmus (South Africa).

MATCH REFEREE: R.S. Madugalle (Sri Lanka).

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2018