Records tumbled at Trent Bridge with Alex Hales smashing the highest One-Day International score by an Englishman, as the hosts romped to a series victory over Pakistan with an emphatic 169-run triumph at Trent Bridge.
Hales, on the back of scores of 7 and 14 in the first two matches, returned to his blistering best on his way to 171, beating Robin Smith’s previous record of 167 in 1993 against Australia.
Jos Buttler added 90 not out off just 51 balls and Joe Root 85 as England posted 444-3, the highest score in One-Day International cricket history, before the bowlers ripped through Pakistan, dismissing the tourists out for 275.
At the beginning of the day, Eoin Morgan won his first toss of the series and elected to bat first, and it didn’t take long for Hales to stamp his authority.
Roy fell for a 19-ball 15, his wicket bringing Hales and Root together, with the pair embarking on contrasting knocks on their way to a partnership of 248, the third highest for the country in ODIs.
Hales rode his luck at times, including being caught of a Wahab Riaz no-ball, the Pakistan left armer ending with figures of 0-110 from his ten overs, but accelerated after reaching a half-century, bringing up his second 50 runs in just 28 balls en route to the fourth ODI century of his career, off just 83 deliveries.
The records continued to tumble for the right-hander as he breezed past his previous best List A score and achieved the highest ODI score at Trent Bridge.
Then, Smith’s 23-year record fell when Hales hit his 22nd boundary, before the Nottinghamshire right-hander was trapped LBW for 171 off the next delivery.
Root fell shortly after for 85, his fifth consecutive 50 in the format, leaving the stage set for Buttler and Morgan to add 161 in just 13 overs.
Buttler joined in on the record-breaking antics when he reached 50 off just 22 balls, eclipsing Paul Collingwood’s 24 ball effort as the fastest for England in ODI cricket.
He ended on 90 not out and Captain Morgan added an unbeaten 57, his second fifty in as many matches, as England posted a world record 444-3, the sixth time they have passed 350 since the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2015.
Staring down the barrel of series defeat if they couldn’t pull off a record chase, Pakistan were able to get off to a flier thanks to Sharjeel Khan’s 58 from 30 balls.
However, he was one of Chris Woakes’ three victims in his opening spell, the all-rounder continuing his stellar summer with figures of 4-41.
Pakistan wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed (38) and Mohammad Nawaz (34) played their part in the middle order, but Liam Plunkett, Mark Wood, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid and Ben Stokes, on his return to bowling, all chipped in with wickets.
A spirited last wicket stand of 76 between Yasir Shah and Mohammad Amir held off England until the 43rd over, the latter striking his half century off just 22 balls with three consecutive maximums off the leg spin of Rashid.
However, Woakes returned to prize out the left-hander to secure victory in the third ODI at Trent Bridge and the series triumph over Pakistan.
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