Sharjah: Maratha Arabians opener Alex Hales, who cracked an unbeaten 57 off 26 balls with five boundaries and four sixes against Pakhtoons in the second match of the tournament, is carrying on the mission of breaking records like his father Gary who as a club cricketer once hit an unbeaten 321 for Gerrards Cross against Chalfont St Peter in a limited-overs league match in England.
Hales grew up listening to tales of his father breaking many local cricket records and also tales of his grandfather Dennis, who once forced the legendary tennis player Rod Laver to five sets at Wimbledon.
When Gulf News asked about how much influence his father’s cricketing exploits had on him, Hales said: “I grew up watching my father play some great knocks. He was a slogger and used to bowl quick as well and was a big influence on my career.”
Hales came into prominence when as a sixteen-year-old, he hit 55 off a single over (three no-balls, eight sixes, one four) in a Cricket Idol T20 tournament at Lords. In fact, he was often picked for junior cricket for his ability to bowl fast like his father but what caught the England selectors’ attention was his ability to score fast. He hit 150 off of 102 balls for Nottinghamshire against Worcestershire and another time hit 184 and breezed into the England team.
“I really enjoy T20 cricket and back in England I had a good year. My strike rate is good and hopefully I should carry it here,” he said.
Hales once hit six successive sixes in the NatWest Blast — three sixes off Boyd Rankin and the three off the next three balls in the following over from Ateeq Javid for Nottinghamshire against Birmingham.
When asked about his six-hitting ability, he said: “Being tall and having long arms has probably helped me to hit sixes but it has also involved long practice to do it.”
Hales candidly admitted that he has no clue how to approach a T10 format match. “It is a new format and something different. In ten overs one has to score as fast you can as in T20 one can allow a couple of dot balls. In T10 if you allow it can cost the game.”
Hales who is the first English batsman to score a century in T20 International is disappointed that despite his knock he could not help Maratha Arabians reach the target against Pakthoons. “It is a shame we didn’t get over the line, we just lost wickets at crucial times, and that was probably the difference. You obviously have half the time of T20, and you just have to keep changing gears all the way through your innings.”
Hales has an advice too on how to bat in T10: “We have to keep looking to play straight on the wicket. The main threat is lbw and bowled, so we have to keep playing nice and straight.”
Hales in hoping to hit a century and win an apartment. “I will be practicing hard to get one. It’s a lovely place. I am not going to turn down an apartment offer.
