Jason Roy smashed England’s highest ever one-day innings to help banish the Ashes blues and deliver a record-breaking victory over Australia at the MCG.
Roy was relentless as he piled on 180 in the opening match of the ODI series, beating Alex Hales’ previous mark by nine runs and also eclipsing Mark Waugh’s record on this ground of 173.
Roy occupied the crease for 151 deliveries, striking 16 fours and five sixes in what will go down as one of the consummate limited-overs innings in English colours and the cornerstone of a much-needed five-wicket success.
TWEET OF THE MATCH
“Get in there! What did you think of that brilliant win?” – A Tweet @Englandcricket has been waiting to post since arriving Down Under in October.
Get in there! What did you think of that brilliant win?
Scorecard: https://t.co/SVagukoB2B pic.twitter.com/j0M005ToZN
ā England Cricket (@englandcricket) January 14, 2018
BALL OF THE DAY
It is a cliche of all team sports that you become a better player if you are out of the team, but Mark Wood wasted no time proving his injury-enforced absence during the Ashes really was a blow to the English cause.
He took all of five deliveries to leave his mark on the Australians, rapping the shoulder of David Warner’s bat with a rapid, rising ball which looped gently into the hands of Joe Root at slip.
STAT OF THE DAY
Three of England’s top four one-day knocks have now been scored since June 2016. Roy is responsible for numbers one and three on the list, having claimed the record and also hit one against Sri Lanka.
Hales sits in second place, leaving the only old-timer on the list as Robin Smith, whose 167 against Australia in May 1993 stood alone at the top for 23 years.
BUTTLER’S CENTURY
As is traditional, England wicket-keeper Jos Buttler was presented with a commemorative cap on the occasion of his 100th ODI appearance.
The handover is often undertaken by a decorated former international but on this occasion it was current Test bowler James Anderson, who no longer plays limited-overs internationals, who was given the job.
The 35-year-old is commentating for Test Match Special during the series and was quickly invited back into the fold to say a few words in Buttler’s honour.Ā
šÆ ODI caps for @josbuttler! ššš pic.twitter.com/xC8A2oKIY7
ā England Cricket (@englandcricket) January 14, 2018
TENOR’S TRENT BRIDGE TIE
British tenor Chris Watson was the man charged with singing God Save the Queen, from no lesser vantage point than the roof of the MCG.
Unless his allegiances were not already clear enough he later revealed he had been wearing a tie with the entire scoring details of Australia 60 all out at Trent Bridge in 2015 stitched into the material.
WHAT’S NEXT?
2nd ODI, Brisbane, Jan 19.