Australia’s bowlers cop record caning against England at Trent Bridge

Tim Paine’s side has been humiliated by England in a record-setting rout that could prove career-ending for some | VIDEO

Australian bowler Andrew Tye was one of those on the receiving end against England. Picture: AFP

First the sanitised version: Tim Paine’s side lost the series and game in Trent Bridge overnight. They now trail England 0-3 and are short odds to suffer a humiliating clean sweep with two matches left to play.

Australia has had some bad days in these parts in the past.

In the 2005 Test Ricky Ponting was run out by substitute Gary Pratt during the follow on.

In 2015 the side was trundled out for 60 on the first morning and whipped by an innings two days later. Michael Clarke announced his retirement at the end of that brief and depressing spectacle.

Today’s loss was, however, much worse than that. Much, much worse than that.

This was an omnishambles. A debacle. It was the sort of game that may see those involved seek trauma counselling in the days that follow. The sort of effort that could end careers — some even before they got a chance to really start.

This was brutal, this was historic, this was a slaughter of the (bowling) lambs.

Australia’s attack was bludgeoned from go to woe. This wasn’t a bad day it was a one day-nightmare. The bowlers were bullied and belittled in front of a sold out crowd of delighted England fans.

What follows should come with a graphic content warning. If you have a weak stomach look away now. If you have children who love the game and the Australian team take them to a safe place and break the news to them gently.

Deep breath.

Sent into bat England scored 6-481 from their allotted overs.

That is the highest total by a side in the 4012 ODI matches played over the past 47 years, passing England’s 3-444 set here in 2016 against Pakistan.

Australia’s batsman, clearly shellshocked from what they had witnessed in the 50 previous overs, could not mount anything resembling a fightback and were bundled out for 239 in 37 overs.

The 242-run margin was the biggest ever suffered by an Australian side, passing the 206-run loss to New Zealand in Adelaide in 1986. It is the fourth-highest margin between two recognised nations.

Australia’s captain Tim Paine, far left, leaves the field at the end of the England innings with shellshocked team-mates. Picture: Getty

It was a blistering and brilliant effort by the England batsmen and a worrying one from the Australians, who had got close to the opposition in the previous matches but now find themselves light years behind.

Parsing praise for the hosts from criticism for the visitors is a difficult task. The home side’s batsmen were and are very good, England is the number one team for a reason and Australia ranked sixth for equal reason, but that is no excuse. That ranking gap does not equate to that many runs.

Australia is on a losing streak the likes of which a side from those parts has never known before. They have lost all but two of their past 16 games. They are at a 34-year low in the rankings.

A radical change in approach since the World Cup has seen England pass 300 every 2.2 innings when the were doing it every 19 innings up to and including that point. They go hard from the start and they appear to have contempt for the notion of consolidation.

Australia is missing its first choice bowlers. That said, no attack in cricket should concede that many runs. The highest total in history surely has to at least suggest one of the worst bowling efforts in the same period.

Jonny Bairstow saltues the crowd as he leaves the field after making 139. Picture: Getty

The top five England accumulated 290 in boundaries, hitting 21 sixes and 41 fours.

Australia’s bowlers had no answer as Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Alex Hales and Eoin Morgan treated their best and worst with scorn. Rarely will you see balls hit so hard or so far. The openers knocked the wind out of the Australian lungs and those that followed made merry against an attack that could not catch its breath.

It was if they had Adam Gilchrist in stereo at the top of the innings and a set of Viv Richard to follow.

Bairstow (39 balls), Roy (41 balls) and Hales (38 balls) all raced to their half centuries.

Morgan left the trio in his wake. His 21 ball 50 was the fastest ever by an England batsman.

Bairstow, who had three centuries from his past five games, made it four from six, reaching his 100 from 69 balls.

Roy seemed headed for even better, but was run out for 82 from 60 deliveries.

Hales, who calls Trent Bridge home and scored 171 here in the match against Pakistan, made 147 from 92 deliveries. His century came up from 60 deliveries.

Morgan’s 67 came (30 deliveries) came at a strike rate of 223.3.

The Australian bowlers had nowhere to go. If they pitched up they were smashed straight, if they went wide they were slapped square, if they dropped slightly back of a length the were pulled and if they strayed anywhere else they were slaughtered. Three times bowlers delivered full tosses that were deemed no balls. Seven times they strayed wide.

Eight bowlers were used and eight were abused.

The scene at Trent Bridge. Picture: AFP

Ashton Agar’s 10 overs for 70 runs made him the most frugal among them. AJ Tye finished with 0-100 from 9 overs and was possibly spared the indignity of breaking Mick Lewis’s infamous 0-113 from 10 at Johannesburg in 2006.

Tye is a clever domestic bowler but he has taken 2-181 from 18 overs in the past two matches and England’s batsmen clearly have his measure.

Jhye Richardson bowled his full complement and picked up three wickets, but he conceded 92 runs. Stanlake’s eight overs cost 74.

Stanlake, Richardson, Tye and Marcus Stoinis are finding their way at this level. It is fair to say that were Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood or James Pattinson fit a few of them would be home watching this on the television.

Travis Head was lucky enough not to be asked to contribute with the ball, while Kane Richardson and Michael Neser ducked a bullet when they were left out of the side.

England’s 50 over batting line up is the best in the world and at stages in this game they seemed set on reaching 500. When they set the record in 2016 they were 1-98 from 17 overs. At the same mark in this match they were 0-130.

Australian head coach Justin Langer watches from the pavillion. Picture: AFP

They had a bit of luck but its almost churlish to mention it. Jonny Bairstow had an LBW decision overturned off Agar’s bowling and was dropped in the next over, but the truth was that the England batsmen were a class, or two, above this bowling attack.

Bairstow went on to score 139 from 92 balls. It was his fourth century from his past six innings. He and Roy destroyed the bowling and rattled the bowlers. One after another they came and one after another they were dispatched. Some of the hitting was so brutal it bordered on assault. Fours raced past stunned fielders. Sixes cracked like bullets.

The pair’s 159 run partnership came from 117 deliveries and was only came to halt when Roy was run out. There was, however, no respite. Alex Hales came to the crease and brought up his 100 from just 62 balls.

Bairstow and Hales put on 151 from 88 balls before he was caught on the boundary.

Australia was never in the run chase, the batting almost as flaccid as the bowling which preceded it. Travis Head put a half century on his record, Stoinis a 44, but they were trivial contributions given the state of the game.

The Trent Bridge Trauma

481 runs: the highest total in ODI history.

242 runs: the heaviest defeat Australia has ever suffered and the fifth worse by any recognised side

21 sixes: the second most hit by any side in an ODI behind New Zealand’s 22 against West Indies in 2014.

21-ball 50: Eoin Morgan’s half century is the fastest by any England player.

0-100: AJ Tye’s nine overs are the second most expensive by an Australian behind Mick Lewis’s 0-113 from 10 overs in 2006 against South Africa.