This Is The Best Period Of My Career: Eoin Morgan

England skipper Eoin Morgan, on Tuesday, ranked his side’s record win over Australia in the third ODI as the best of his career as England captain. The hosts piled up a mammoth 481 for 6 to beat the sorry Australians by 242 runs. The win also gave England an three-nil lead in the five-match series.

Breathtaking centuries from Jonny Bairstow and Alex Hales, plus a 21-ball half-century from Morgan  helped them eclipse the 444 for three they made at the same venue against Pakistan two years ago. Overall, England thrashed 41 fours and 21 sixes.

Bairstow smashed 139 – his fourth ODI century in six games – while Hales hit 147. Bairstow’s knock came off just 92 balls and contained 15 fours and 5 sixes. On the other hand, Hales hit 16 fours and 5 sixes during his 147-run knock.

Jason Roy brought up England’s 100 in the 14th over with a straight six off Glenn Maxwell, and the 150 stand arrived in the 19th. The right-handed batsman scored 82 off just 61 balls to lay the platform for a huge total. Bairstow continued to torment the Australians, completing his fourth one-day hundred in six innings off 69 balls.

Hales brought up the 300 with a flick for six off Stanlake, before Bairstow departed. The second-wicket stand was worth 151 at 10 an over. Jos Buttler could not do much but Hales was going strong from one end. The hard-hitting batsman, who had contributed 171 against the Pakistanis in 2016 – soon completed a 62-ball century. Morgan then rubbed salt to Australia’s wounds by scoring a 21-ball fifty, the fastest for England in ODIs.

In reply, Australia were all out for just 239 in 37 overs. The Morgan-led side has been a revelation in the limited-overs format. But the skipper thinks this win is his best as captain.

“The best performance by a stretch, I think,” said Morgan. “Definitely.”

“The last three years are probably more special than the other guys are feeling at the moment. We’ve been very lucky with the group of players that we’ve had. Certainly, this is the best period of my career. And the proudest as well.”

He further hailed Roy, Bairstow and Hales for their consistency.

“It’s difficult to keep everybody satisfied. At the end of the day, you’re not going to. But we want a squad of players that, by the time the World Cup comes around, the in-form guys are likely to play. All three (Bairstow, Roy, Hales) are putting themselves right at the top of the list at the moment,” he said.

Morgan himself enjoyed a brilliant game on a personal note. He scored the fastest-ever ODI fifty by an England player. His 30-ball 67 runs innings also helped him overtake Ian Bell as England’s leading run-scorer in ODIs.

“To pass someone like Ian Bell, who has been around a very long time is something that is satisfying. The rate at which I struck it today, you have to. Everybody in the changing room strikes it at that, if not more. It’s definitely a young man’s game,”  he said.