Alex Hales hundred propels Sydney Thunder to record Big Bash total against Sydney Sixers
English opener is the most prolific batsman in 2020/21 Big Bash League so far with a total of 462 runs after bludgeoning a century against Sydney Sixers; Sam Billings weighed in with 33, while James Vince struck 38 in fruitless chase
Saturday 23 January 2021 15:19, UK
Alex Hales blasted a punishing 110 off 56 balls as Sydney Thunder crushed Sydney Sixers by 46 runs after posting a record Big Bash League score of 232-5, in Adelaide.
Hales smote eight sixes and nine fours in an innings with a strike-rate of 196.43 as Thunder eclipsed the previous highest score in the tournament off 223-8, made by Hobart Hurricanes in 2017.
The 32-year-old is now the leading run-scorer in the competition, with a total of 462 runs from his 12 innings so far at an average of 38.50.
Fellow Englishman Sam Billings weighed in with 33 off 21 balls, as did skipper Callum Ferguson (42 off 23) and Ben Cutting (33 off 14).
Amid the onslaught, Ben Dwarshuis returned figures of 3-38 off his four overs, while Carlos Brathwaite (1-40) picked up the wicket of Hales with the penultimate ball of the 19th over.
Sixers fell well short of their imposing target, reaching 186-5 in reply on the back of a half-century from Moises Henriques (56 off 35) and 42 from Jordan Silk.
Opener James Vince could not match the fireworks of his compatriot Hales but did contribute 38 off 23 balls.
Hales last played for England in March 2019 but has been in the wilderness since being withdrawn by the ECB from Eoin Morgan's World Cup squad after reportedly failing a drugs test.
