Alex Hales – The best t20 batsman on the planet?

After firing England to victory in their final t20i match against Australia at Chester-le-Street, opening batsman Alex Hales has been ranked as the number one Twenty20 batsman in the world in the official International Cricket Council Twenty20 standings.

Hales blistering knock of 96 from 61 balls propelled England to a total of 195-5 from their 20.0 overs, with Australia falling 27 runs short of their target. England’s victory meant the t20i series was tied 1-1 and Hales subsequently picked up the man-of-the-match award. Furthermore, as a result of his performance, Hales also received 65 ranking points, taking him above New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum into first place. Australian duo Shane Watson and David Warner currently sit in 3^rd and 4^th position in the standings, whilst Martin Guptill, Mahela Jayawardene, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Chris Gayle and JP Duminy make up the rest of the top 10.

Outlaws opener Hales’ main strengths lie in his ability to take the attack to the bowlers from the off, taking full advantage of the fielding restrictions in the powerplay overs to thrust his team off to a fast start. Providing he stays at the crease beyond the first six overs, his ability to maintain that initial momentum by picking the gaps and continuing to score boundaries is of equal benefit to his team. Hales is undoubtedly a very talented t20 performer; but is the boy from Hillingdon, Middlesex, really the best t20i batsmen in the world?

In his twenty-one Twenty20 internationals, Hales has scored 665 runs at an average of 39.11 with a strike rate of 135.99. His highest t20i score came last summer against the West Indies, when he made 99 from 68 balls – the highest t20i score by an English batsmen – and in total he has scored six t20i fifties whacking 69 fours and 19 sixes. In total, domestically and internationally, Hales has played eighty-four t20 matches, amassing 2343 runs, averaging 30.42, with a strike rate of 139.21.

These are a very impressive collection of statistics, but how do they compare with his main rivals at the top of the ICC rankings? Number two in the standings, Kiwi supremo Brendon McCullum, averages 35.50 in t20 internationals, scoring 1882 runs in 61 innings, with a strike rate of 135.49. Despite the fact that McCullum has made two t20i hundreds and five in total – including a blistering 158* off 73 balls for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL’s inaugural match – his t20i record is slightly inferior to Hales. In fact, none of the other top ten candidates have a higher t20i average than Hales, with only Shane Watson, David Warner and Chris Gayle boasting better strike rates than the Nottinghamshire man.

However, Hales relative inexperience in the international arena is somewhat beneficial regarding his generous statistical record. For any commentator, journalist, coach, player or fan of world cricket will likely argue that best batsmen in the game’s shortest format is a Gayle, a McCullum or a Dhawan (etc), and not a Hales. To be one of the world’s best t20i batsmen, one needs to be a uniquely destructive force, feared by every bowling attack on the planet. In this regard, Hales still has a long way to go until his status is sufficient to be welcomed into such an exclusive gentlemen’s club.

In order to truly become one of the best players in the world, Hales needs to be consistently successful at all levels and across all formats over the next few years. Whilst proving his ability abroad in the IPL or the Big Bash would gain him much kudos, success on the home front would perhaps be a better place to start. Hales has struggled to get into Nottinghamshire’s County Championship side this season and in the Friends Life t20 competition, he was comfortably outscored by Hampshire’s Michael Carberry and Somerset’s Craig Kieswetter. Moreover, despite scoring the 4^th highest runs tally in the FLt20, Hales only placed 28^th on the 2013 averages list.

Thus, although Hales can take a big confidence boost from the fact that he has been ranked by the ICC as the best t20i player on the planet, this is simply a blurred reality. For despite being an undoubtedly talented young player, Hales is not even the best Twenty20 batsman in the country. Sorry, Alex.

 

FLt20 “Ones-to-watch” XI Verdict

Remember our FLT20 “Ones-to-watch XI” from earlier this summer? Well, here’s how the team got on in this year’s competition.

 

1. Michael Carberry – 502 runs at 55.78, HS 100, 4 Fifties, 1 Hundred

“Yet to make a century in t20 cricket, could this be Carberry’s year?”

Yes, apparently. Michael Carberry was Hampshire’s ‘Mr Consistency’ in the FLt20 competition this year, as the Royals advanced to Finals Day having lost just one match, only to fall at the semi-final stage. His century against Lancashire came off 66 balls (11 fours and 3 sixes) and as a result of his masterful t20 displays, Carberry has been called into the England ODI and t20i squads for the series against Australia.

 

2. Dawid Malan – 351 runs at 39.00, HS 86, 3 Fifties

“Aggressive left-handed batsman Malan has had a huge amount of success in the 20-over format over the past few years.”

No change here then, for the shortest format remains Dawid Malan’s strongest. Middlesex were unfortunate not to advance from the tricky South Group, however, Malan did his best to propel them beyond the first stage with some powerful performances at the top of the order, including a match-winning 55-ball 86 against Essex at Lord’s.

 

3. Luke Wright – 130 runs at 21.67, HS 81, 1 Fifty

“England all-rounder Wright has become something of a t20 mercenary over the past few seasons, with stints in the IPL, Big Bash and BPL…”

As such an experienced t20 campaigner, Luke Wright will have been disappointed with his performances in the FLt20 this season. He reached fifty just once – he smashed 81 off 49 balls against Middlesex at Lord’s – and thus made only 49 runs in his five other innings. In addition, Wright bowled only one over for Sussex in the competition, as the Sharks finished dead last in the South Group with nine losses and one solitary victory. A year to forget for Wright and Sussex.

 

4. Owais Shah – 311 runs at 51.83, HS 68, 2 Fifties

“Essex will need Shah to be in top form if they are to qualify out of the competition’s tricky South Group.”

In contrast to his fellow seasoned t20 campaigner Wright, 2013 was a great year for both Owais Shah and Essex. Shah averaged over 50 in the competition, as Essex not only advanced out of the South Group, but all the way to finals day. The Eagles eventually bowed out in the semi-finals, losing to eventual winners Northamptonshire. Shah’s brutal 68 from 43 balls against Hampshire in the group stages, was a particular highlight.

 

5. Gary Ballance – 269 runs at 29.89, HS 68, 1 Fifty

“Zimbabwe-born batsman Gary Ballance is a player showing huge potential.”

Although Yorkshire have had a barnstorming year in the County Championship, their FLt20 campaign didn’t quite go according to plan, as the “Vikings” finished rock bottom of the North Group. But Gary Ballance won’t mind too much. Having scored runs across all three formats, including an eye-catching 68 off 39 balls in a t20 against Durham, the Zimbabwean-born leftie should get the chance to take on the Australians for real in the upcoming ODI series.

 

6. Darren Stevens – 267 runs at 38.14, HS 67, 1 Fifty; 6 wickets at 36.00, SB 2-16

“Ever since his arrival from Leicestershire in 2004, Stevens has been a critical member of the Kent team in all three forms of the game.”

Self-confessed Twenty20 junkie Darren Stevens is a wonderful ball striker, as well as a more than useful limited-overs bowler. As the highest scoring domestic t20 run-scorer prior to this summer, Stevens perhaps didn’t quite hit top gear this year, although his match-winning 67* from 44 balls against Sussex typified the qualities he possesses. Too old to play for England? “Never”, says Darren.

 

7. Craig Kieswetter – 517 runs at 64.62, HS 89*, 5 Fifties, 10 catches, 1 stumping

“South-African born wicket-keeper batsman Kieswetter will be hoping that this year’s FLt20 could be his year.”

Speaking of England honours, Craig Kieswetter will be disappointed that he failed to win a recall to the England limited-overs squads this summer. The South African-born wicketkeeper-batsman scored more domestic t20 runs in 2013 than any other player, including Michael Carberry; Taunton’s short boundaries aside, that is an impressive statistic. His 89* off 55 balls against Gloucestershire was an innings of sheer perfection. Don’t rule this lad out from returning to the England fold very soon.

 

8. Graham Napier – 95 runs at 19.00, HS 38; 12 wickets at 26.17, SB 4-18

“When it comes to limited-overs cricket, Napier is never too far away from the spotlight.”

Although he has starred in t20 cricket with the bat on numerous occasions over the years, Graham Napier refers to himself as “a bowler with bats a bit” and this rang true in his 2013 FLt20 campaign. There are very few professional players worldwide capable of bowling an inch perfect yorker on demand and Napier is one of them; all four of his four Surrey victims in his season’s best figures were clean bowled. Lead the Essex line brilliantly.

 

9. James Tredwell – 7 wickets at 16.43, SB 3-19

“The off-spinner relies on his consistency, control and subtle variations to out think the opposing batsman.”

Kent have had a number of successful seasons in the domestic t20 competition, however this year was not one of them. International commitments meant Tredwell was only able to lead his county in six of their group matches and despite his best efforts as both a leader and an off-spinner, Kent picked up just three victories in the campaign. Tredwell only played a part in one of those wins, as he bowled 3 overs 1-12 to deny Hampshire at the Rose Bowl.

 

10. Jamie Overton – N/A

“Although he has yet to play a t20 match for his county Somerset, many will be expecting young Jamie Overton to make his mark on the competition this season.”

Sadly, he didn’t. Overton is still yet to make his t20 debut for Somerset. However, fear not, because the young paceman has been included in the England squad to face Australia in the upcoming ODI series. The selectors do like picking on potential.

 

11. Boyd Rankin – 4 wickets at 11.25, SB 2-9

“Expect the six-foot-seven seamer to be cause difficulties for batsman at both ends of the innings this year.”

Whilst his county Warwickshire had a solid but unfruitful t20 summer, little credit can be given to their Irish-born fast bowler Rankin, who bowled just eight overs in the competition. That said, he did make a significant impact in those eight overs, picking up figures of 2-9 against Somerset and he subsequently finished at the top of the FLt20 2013 bowling averages. Hopefully he’ll get more of an opportunity to terrorise batsmen in the England-Australia ODI series.