WHANGAREI, Feb 4 PA – Alex Hales will begin England’s Twenty20 series against New Zealand with a towering reputation, and confidence to match, after his swashbuckling Big Bash exploits.
The 1.91m opener is already the joint holder, alongside team-mate Luke Wright, of England’s highest individual Twenty20 score after his 99 against West Indies on his home ground at Trent Bridge last summer.
He has consolidated well, too, with a consistent run of scores at the top of the order in the sprint format for his country.
Yet it was not in English blue but the red of Melbourne Renegades that the 24-year-old perhaps made the world sit up and take most notice with an innings of immense power on his Big Bash debut last month.
Hales had barely stepped off the plane, after a last-minute deal to join the Melbourne franchise for just two matches, before smashing eight sixes and five fours from just 52 balls against the Sydney Sixers at the SCG last month.
From that day on, Hales can be sure he will be taken lightly by no-one – and, beginning with Monday’s first of two T20 warm-up fixtures against a New Zealand XI at the Cobham Oval, his challenge now is to vindicate the inevitable hype.
He will do so with enhanced self-belief, after a single innings which could prove a game-changer for his whole career.
“I’d have to say it would be up there, as one of my highlights,” he said of a majestic exhibition of clean hitting which he admits – given the unique circumstances so soon after his long-haul flight – he struggles to properly recollect.
“I was glad to get that Big Bash opportunity – it was a little bit unexpected.
“I’d literally jumped straight off the plane, and genuinely don’t remember too much about it.
“But it’s a very strong competition, with very good overseas players, and something I’d definitely like to do again.”
Hales is well aware, however, that in modern international cricket no batsman can live long on the basis of one innings – and he is out to prove there is plenty more to come from him.
“I’m not going to rest on my laurels at all, and I’m hoping to put up a couple of good performances against these Kiwis.”