Wednesday 19 June 2019 11:43, UK
Rob Key described Eoin Morgan's record-breaking innings during England's World Cup match against Afghanistan as "relentless".
The England captain struck the highest number of sixes in an individual ODI innings, 17, as he smashed 148 off 71 balls in Manchester.
It propelled England to 397-6, their highest score in a World Cup innings, with their 25 sixes during the 50 overs the most struck by any team in a single ODI innings.
Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan finished with the most expensive figures for a bowler ever in a World Cup, 0-110 from nine overs, with Morgan hitting 58 of those runs.
"It was extraordinary hitting from Morgan," Key told Sky Sports. "I have never seen anything like that. The relentless nature of how he played and how he just connected with the middle of the bat was extraordinary.
"I have played with and against Morgan since he was about 20 and I don't even think he felt he could play the way he did.
"Sometimes when Morgan first comes in he looks vulnerable, as a lot of players do, but as soon as he hit that first six, all of a sudden everything clicked into place.
"It's like he got used to the pace, he got used to the spin and used to Rashid Khan in particular. No one ever does this to Rashid Khan, he had absolutely nowhere to go.
"Rashid is one of the best T20 bowlers in the world, certainly one of the best spinners in the world and he had no game for Morgan and what he did to him."
Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain were also full of praise for Morgan, whose side went on to win by 150 runs to move top of the World Cup table.
"When Morgan first came into the side at the start of his international career all the talk was of his sweeps and reverse-sweeps," Atherton said on Sky Sports. "All the kind of funky shots he used to hit.
"Today was simple striking down the ground, it was incredible hitting actually. You don't see anything particularly funky.
"He was just standing there with a rock-solid base and dispatching it with immense power and perfect timing."
Hussain added: "I think he has gone back a little bit to the Morgan we first saw when he burst on the scene. He was a little bit ahead of his time - there was Kevin Pietersen and then there was Morgan.
"Also the situation - he could easily have sent Jos Buttler in and and said 'I've got a bit of a stiff back', but he didn't. He went out there and smashed it everywhere, through the line on a good pitch.
"He hasn't taken the easy option of missing the game, and this wasn't a one-off as the captain has been playing well for a year-and-a-half. Imagine what player he would be without a bad back!"
Watch every game of the ICC Cricket World Cup live on Sky Sports Cricket World Cup, including New Zealand vs South Africa from 10am on Wednesday.
