Top 5 batting performances in England's ODI history

Among the major cricketing nations (excluding the likes of Bangladesh and Zimbabwe), England are the only team to not win even a single ICC ODI tournament. While their record in the World Cup and Champions Trophy may not stack up favourably with the other eminent sides, they have managed to find their mojo from time to time in various bilateral series across the globe.

In this particular segment, let us take a close look at the *top five highest individual scores registered by England batsmen in the history of ODI cricket. Interestingly, only one of those mammoth knocks have been notched in an ICC event. Unsurprisingly, all of those gargantuan performances have come from top-order batsmen.

(*Note: All statistics are accurate as of 25th January, 2018)

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#5 David Gower - 158 (118), 1983 & Andrew Strauss - 158 (145), 2011

David Gower played one of the most elegant knocks in ODI history

A couple of left-handers jointly occupy the fifth spot in this distinguished list. While David Gower was an artist with the bat, Andrew Strauss combined orthodoxy with enterprising skills to carve a reasonably good ODI career. At the peak of their respective careers, both batsmen registered an impressive 158 each.

During the fourth match of the 1983 Benson & Hedges World Series Cup, Gower treated the Brisbane faithful to an exhilarating display of shot-making. Much like a painter working on an expansive canvas, he caressed the ball to all parts of the ground and put New Zealand's bowling attack to the sword. His 118-ball 158 was laced with 18 boundaries and 4 sixes. Riding on the southpaw's knock, England posted 267 runs on the board and defended the total with ease.

28 years later, Strauss matched Gower's epic with a sublime knock of his own. Chasing a mammoth target of 339 against India in a group game at the 2011 World Cup, he led from the front to anchor England's pursuit. On a sluggish track in Bangalore, the skipper paced his innings to perfection and ensured that the match went right down to the wire. His 145-ball 158, containing 18 boundaries and a solitary maximum, delivered a creditable tied contest against the eventual tournament champions.

Relive David Gower's majestic knock

#4 Jason Roy - 162 (118) against Sri Lanka, 2016

Jason Roy made a mockery of a seemingly stiff run-chase at the Oval

Following a botched campaign in the 2015 World Cup, England were intent on revamping their white-ball game. The selectors ousted accumulators and injected batsmen capable of taking the bull by its horns. One of those was Jason Roy. After honing his skills to meet the demands of international cricket, the opener did not take too long to unleash himself on the global arena. The bilateral series on home soil against Sri Lanka in the 2016 summer saw him make giant strides.

After scoring a sizzling century in the second match at Edgbaston, Roy ran rampant against the hapless visitors at the Oval. With England facing a stern target of 308 runs from just 42 overs, he showed intent right from the outset and tore the Sri Lankan bowling attack into pieces. The Durban-born batsman smashed 13 boundaries and 3 sixes in his 118-ball 162. The hosts cruised to the target with six wickets and 11 balls remaining at their disposal.

(Video Courtesy: England & Wales Cricket Board)

#3 Robin Smith - 167* (163) against Australia, 1993

Robin Smith's sublime knock could not prevent Australia from winning the match

When Australia toured England in the summer of 1993, the 3-match ODI series served as precursor to the fabled Ashes contests. After losing the opening game by a mere four runs, the hosts were under pressure to keep the ODI series alive as the caravan moved to Edgbaston for the second 55-over encounter. With conditions ripe for swing bowling, the visitors decided to insert their opponents on a dicey track.

The dynamic Alec Stewart departed early for a five-ball duck. Coming in at number three, Robin Smith allayed England's concerns by getting on top of Australia's bowlers. He smartly played out the probing new-ball spells of Craig McDermott and Merv Hughes. The right-hander proceeded to take full toll of the medium pacers.

He hammered 17 boundaries and 3 sixes in his unbeaten 167 off 163 balls. While England lost the match as well as the series, Smith's epoch-making knock remained the country's best in ODIs until Alex Hales and then Jason Roy usurped the record in easier conditions for batting.

#2 Alex Hales - 171 (122) against Pakistan, 2016

Alex Hales' scintillating century powered England to the highest ODI total of all time

Records tumbled during the third ODI of the 5-match series between England and Pakistan in 2016. On a docile track at Trent Bridge designed to evoke runs galore, the hosts won a handy toss and predictably chose to bat first. After Jason Roy fell early in the innings, Alex Hales took control of the proceedings. His sustained belligerence decimated a bowling unit containing the likes of Mohammad Amir and Hasan Ali.

Pakistan captain Azhar Ali cut a forlorn figure as Hales cut and drove his name into the record books. Making his intentions quite clear, he bludgeoned the ball instead of merely relying on timing to do the trick.

The opener eclipsed Smith's previous highest score and looked set to bring up a landmark double ton. When he was dismissed in the 37th over, Hales had amassed 171 runs from 122 balls. His spectacular knock, laced with as many as 22 boundaries and 4 sixes, powered England to the highest ODI total (444) of all time.

(Video Courtesy: England & Wales Cricket Board)

#1 Jason Roy - 180 (151) against Australia, 2018

Jason Roy soaks in the applause after treating the Melbourne crowd to a batting masterclass

Following a 0-4 hammering at the hands of their old foes in an one-sided Ashes series, England's morale was down in the dumps. When the action shifted to the ODIs, they needed a moment of magic to turn their tour around. Things did not seem like falling in place as Australia racked up a strong total of 304. Even though the MCG surface was quite flat, the visitors still had to contend with the likes of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins.

A free-spirited Jason Roy singlehandedly began to wrest momentum from the Australians. He got into the groove by smashing Starc for a six and two fours in consecutive deliveries. From then on, the right-hander did not look back.

Despite his team losing a couple of wickets in quick succession, Roy continued his uninhibited onslaught. A relentless array of shots fetched him 16 boundaries and 5 sixes. Apart from breaking the record for the highest ODI score by an England batsman, he also helped the visitors set the tone for the rest of the series.

(Video Courtesy: cricket.com.au)