Peter Hayter

IF JOS CAN DELIVER THEN ROY IS ALSO UP TO THE JOB

Such was the overwhelming nature of England’s record-breaking batting in the third One-Day International against Australia in Nottingham and the brutality of the carnage inflicted by Jonny Bairstow, Alex Hales and Eoin Morgan, it would be easy to overlook perhaps the most eye-catching innings of them all.

Jason Roy’s 82 from 61 deliveries was a delight to savour from now until next year’s World Cup, the Surrey man’s play simply sublime, the sound of bat on ball ringing around Trent Bridge like a sunny Sunday morning church bell.

On the back foot he was sharp and dynamic, with light-speed fast hands, never quicker than when he hooked Billy Stanlake over square leg for six from outside off-stump. But he also had the game and the nous to adjust when necessary to block to fight another day, when balls he originally lined up to pull or hook arrived earlier than he expected, thus cutting down the risk of spooning mishits to the infield, as he has had a tendency to do in the past.

More striking still, amid the baseball-style launching to all parts of his colleagues, than the power was the sheer class of his strokeplay; from first to last on the front foot bringing his bat down straight, and straight through the line of the ball.

His balance and timing were thrilling; one or two drives past mid-off no doubt bringing blinks to the eyes and sighs to the hearts of older spectators, of golden memories of a young Tom Graveney firmly but politely persuading the ball to stay on the ground all the way to the line.