Roy’s maximum destroys Australia in record run chase

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When England were last playing one-day cricket in Australia they were, by their own admission, quite dreadful. The England side that were bundled out of the ICC Cricket World Cup three years ago now seems as if from a totally different era.

England have now indisputably caught up with the rest of the world. And in many cases gone past them. This side is driven by flinty-eyed captain Eoin Morgan’s determination to set England free of the shackles that had bound them since ODI cricket was invented, after the first three days of the Test between these same sides at this self-same ground had been washed out back in 1971.

Trevor Bayliss took over after the last World Cup, and since then England have been a team transformed. In a little over 50 games since that World Cup, England have amassed 300-plus on 25 occasions. And they have won nine of their 12 one-day series – they are a serious one-day outfit.

So when Australia posted 304/8 today, a score that only a few years ago would have seemed out of reach, it held few fears for a batting line-up packed with power hitters. Australian crowds have not really seen this new-look, gung-ho England one-day outfit. They have now.

The home side’s innings was based on a controlled run-a-ball hundred from Aaron Finch – his third at the MCG and fourth against England – and two half-centuries, from Mitch Marsh and Marcus Stoinis, coming up with the goods in Australia’s revamped middle order.

After a trying Ashes series, the return of the economical Moeen Ali that England know and love was a real bonus – he conceded just 39 off his 10 overs against a set Finch and Marsh, in retrospect a key passage of play. But the stand-out was Mark Wood – touching 150kph, skiddy and testing Australia’s top order, including getting the potentially destructive David Warner caught at slip with one that bounced and hit the shoulder of the bat. Leg-spinner Adil Rashid was expensive but did what he is in the side for and took key wickets – Aussie captain Steve Smith with a googly and then Marsh with a slider his two victims.

The opening spells from Australia’s Ashes spearheads Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins were always going to be vital. But Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy simply teed off and brought the chase down to manageable proportions, with the 50 being brought up in 4.2 overs, England’s quickest since the start of 2002.

The wickets of Bairstow and Alex Hales from airy shots brought Joe Root to the crease and from the start he looked busy, bustling and in control, steadying the ship and always looking to pierce the gaps.

But the day was all about Jason Roy. Dropped from the side during the ICC Champions Trophy last summer, his return – due to the enforced absence of Ben Stokes and Hales – saw him hit 84 and 96 in the last two ODIs of the English season and he carried on that form here.

He had scored just 60 runs in six innings for the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash, so Australian crowds would have been somewhat surprised to see the batsman who took the bowlers to the cleaners here.

There was much to admire – the intent, the clarity of thought, the execution, and the ability and desire to take the quick single and push the fielders so that ones became twos. Many shots will live in the memory – off front or back foot – the early imperious straight drives, the reverse sweep against the leggie Adam Zampa, the Natmeg off Starc, but two shots in particular were pure Roy.

First, on 46, he walked across his stumps and pummelled Stoinis through wide mid-wicket with high hands. Then, when past his century, he took a pace down and across to Starc and laced him through the same area with a straightish bat. Astonishing batting.

When Roy did hit it in the air, fortune favoured the brave. One six went directly over the keeper’s head, another out-of-control shot popped just over backward point, a few other strikes went more vertical than horizontal but dropped harmlessly into the MCG’s broad empty spaces.

What Roy has not always done is go on. Here, he hit the quickest half-century by an Englishman against Australia, the landmark arriving in just 32 balls, but then he settled down, working Australia’s second-string bowlers around to make sure England did not waste their blistering start. Twenty20 specialist Andrew Tye, making his debut at 31, was tidy enough but on a good batting pitch, the attack held few fears. Roy’s hundred came up in 92 balls, showing the extent to which he consolidated.

And in Root he found the perfect partner. Calm and assured, England’s Test captain helped Roy by encouraging him to review an lbw verdict given to Zampa as he beat the Surrey man with a googly – replays showing Roy got his knee outside the line. And as an England win became more and more inevitable, the two batsmen set about breaking a whole host of ODI records.

On his way to his eventual 180, Roy passed David Gower’s 122 made in January 1983 against New Zealand in a triangular series as the highest score by an Englishman at the MCG. He then went past 158, also by Gower and also in 1983, versus New Zealand at Brisbane, as the highest score by an Englishman in an ODI in Australia.

Then he exceeded his own highest score of 162, made against Sri Lanka at The Oval in 2016. Onwards, to Robin Smith’s 167 not out made at Edgbaston in 1993 – the highest score by an Englishman against Australia. And next up was the highest score by anyone at the MCG, beating Mark Waugh’s 173 v West Indies in 2001.

And then, finally, Roy surpassed Alex Hales’ 171 made against Pakistan at Trent Bridge in 2016 to notch the highest score ever by an Englishman.

The partnership of 221 between Roy and Root beat the third-wicket partnership record for England v Australia – 190 between Nasser Hussain and Graeme Hick at Sydney in 1999. And the two of them also beat Graham Gooch and David Gower’s record of 202 at Lord’s in 1985 for any partnership in ODIs against Australia. It was breathless, exhilarating. And England’s first win in this winter tour.

Roy, visibly tiring and having hurt his hand as he turned and slipped, was out just towards the end. Morgan and Jos Buttler, in his 100th ODI, came and went but Moeen thumped Travis Head over mid-on to finish things off with seven balls to spare. Root again failed to convert a fifty into a hundred but for once he won’t care a jot. An unbeaten 91 was a beautifully judged effort as England broke yet another record, going past Australia’s 297/4 against England in 2011.

And all this with not a mention of Ben Stokes, the man who most epitomises this brave new England.