Record-setting Eng crush Pak

Visitors crash to 275 all out to concede 5-match series

Alex Hales’s stunning century provided the platform for England to post the highest ever one-day international total of 444 for three to beat Pakistan by 169 runs at Trent Bridge.

The victory on Tuesday gave England an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series after Pakistan were dismissed for 275 with 44 balls to spare. England’s total surpassed the previous record of 443 for nine by Sri Lanka against the Netherlands at Amstelveen in 2006.

In a match of records, opener Hales’s innings on his Nottinghamshire home ground was the highest ever-individual ODI score by any England batsman and together with Joe Root (85) he put on 248 for the second wicket.

Both batsmen fell in quick succession to leave England 283 for three in 38 overs.But an unbroken stand of 161 in 76 balls between Jos Buttler (90 n.o.) and captain Eoin Morgan (57 n.o.) ensured the runs just kept coming.

Hales had managed just 145 runs at an average of 18.12 during England’s preceding 2-2 Test series with Pakistan. That was followed by meagre scores of seven and 14 at Southampton and Lord’s respectively as England went 2-0 up in this five-match ODI series.

But Hales was rarely troubled after Morgan won the toss. Pakistan, top of the Test rankings but a lowly ninth in the ODI table, let through a couple of early boundaries to set the tone for a desperately shoddy fielding display.

Pakistan’s reply saw Sharjeel Khan make a quickfire 58, but once the opener holed out off Chris Woakes (four for 41) his side’s slim chance of victory disappeared with him.

Last man Mohammad Amir hit superbly in also making 58 — the highest ODI score by a No 11, beating compatriot Shoaib Akhtar’s 43 against England at the 2003 World Cup in Cape Town.

The left-hander’s fifty took just 22 balls — the same as Buttler’s. But he was merely delaying the inevitable. Amir was the last man out when he was caught and bowled by Woakes.