“We’ve spoken about this (attacking cricket) over the last 12 months and it is good to see we are finally going out and doing it”
Image courtesy of: Zimbio
England opener Alex Hales has revealed that he is excited by the more aggressive and attacking brand of ODI cricket the national team are starting to play.
Hales’ comments come after England scored 408-9 in the first ODI, which is the first time they have surpassed 400 runs in an ODI.
While England went on to win that match by 210 runs, which is their largest margin of victory in terms of runs in ODI history, they lost the next two matches despite amassing totals of 365 and 302.
But, Hales confirmed that the atmosphere in the England camp remains positive and upbeat as the national team have once again captured the hearts of their fans after a disastrous winter, which saw them fail to get past the group stage of the 2015 World Cup following a shocking 15-run loss to Bangladesh.
“The last week or so has been really enjoyable, particularly considering how badly the winter went for us as a squad,” Hales said. “There are a lot of new faces around and the guys are doing at international level what they do for their counties. The guys are expressing themselves on the field and enjoying themselves, which is key.”
Hales also feels that England should be proud of giving New Zealand a run for their money in the first three ODIs, especially since they are a relatively inexperienced side.
“We’re pretty inexperienced but the way things have gone so far, we have pretty much matched the Kiwis and have played some really good cricket,” he said. “If you look at the squad, it is pretty much everyone’s natural game to attack. We’ve spoken about this (attacking cricket) over the last 12 months and it is good to see we are finally going out and doing it.
“If you look down our batting order, it’s full of strikers. We’ve got power-hitters all the way down the order, which is crucial now in one-day cricket.
“If we want to take on Australia in the Ashes we will need to play positive, aggressive cricket and that’s what we are doing now.”
Hales finished off by saying that he would love to score his maiden ODI century during the fourth ODI on Wednesday as the match will be held at Trent Bridge, which is his home ground.
“It would be a dream come true. Playing an ODI at your home ground, I came close a few years ago in a Twenty20 and getting 99 and then getting bowled in one of the last overs,” he said. “I’d love to get that milestone. It would be a very, very good day for me.”