Hales ecstatic over scoring England’s first T20 century

Opener helps team pull off six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka.

CHITTAGONG: Alex Hales said he always had confidence he would be the first man to score a Twenty20 international hundred for England after leading his side to a six-wicket win over Sri Lanka.

Hales hit a brilliant 116 off just 64 balls to help England chase down a daunting 190-run target for their first win in two Group One games at the World Twenty20 in Chittagong.

Having previously missed a Twenty20 hundred – making 99 against the West Indies in 2012 on his Trent Bridge home ground and 94 against Australia last year – he finally fulfilled his promise on Thursday.

"I always had the confidence I would get the chance again," said 25-year-old Hales.

He smashed two sixes off paceman Nuwan Kulasekara in the 19th over – the first helped him reach his hundred off 60 balls – and then knocked another one in Angelo Mathews's next to seal the win.

"Hundreds don't come around very often in the short format so I am buzzing I got it today and in a huge fixture for our country. It's an amazing feeling. It still hasn't sunk in."

Hales' heroics stunned the Sri Lankans who now have two wins in three games.

England next play South Africa on Saturday — a match likely to decide their fate for the semis.

England fined for slow over-rate

England have been fined for maintaining a slow over-rate during their match against Sri Lanka, said the International Cricket Council on Friday.

"The ICC match referee David Boon of Australia imposed the fines after the side, led by Stuart Broad, was ruled to be two overs short of its target when time allowances were taken into consideration," an ICC release said.

Under ICC rules players are fined 10% of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, with the captain fined double that amount.

"As such, Broad was fined 40% of his match fee, while his players received 20% fines.

England have one win  out of two matches, the same as New Zealand, while South Africa and Sri Lanka have two wins in three matches.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal and South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis were suspended for one Twenty20 match after their sides were charged for slow over-rates for the second time within 12 months.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 29^th, 2014.

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