Overnight Jonny Bairstow became the first Englishman and the ninth in 4008 ODIs to score three consecutive centuries.
Bairstow teed off in Edinburgh against Scotland with 105 to go with his 138 and 104, both against New Zealand – all of them this year.
Interestingly, not one of the nine have come from Australia, nor the West Indies, despite any number of iconic batsmen since the first ODI in 1971.
Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara is the only ODI batsman to crack four consecutive centuries with 105* against Bangladesh, 117* (England), 104 (Australia), and 124 against Scotland in 2015.
Pakistan’s elegant Zaheer Abbas was the first with three against India in 1982 and 1983 with 118, 105, and 113.
India’s Saeed Anwar’s three were all against Pakistan in 1993 with 107, 131, and 111.
South Africa has provided three of the elite with Hershelle Gibbs, AB de Villiers, and Quentin de Kock.
Gibbs’ three were in 2002 with 116 against Kenya, 116* (India), and 153 against Bangladesh.
De Villiers were 114* and 102 against India, and 102 against the West indies, in 2010.
And de Kok’s were 135, 106, and 101 all against India in 2013.
Kiwi Ross Taylor’s three were in 2014 with 112* and 102 against India, and 105* against Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Babar Azam’s were all against the West Indies in 2016 with 120, 123, and 117.
Bairstow’s record was timely with the five-game ODI series against Australia to start next week at The Oval after a shock six-run defeat overnight by Scotland at Edinburgh.
The Scots set an Associate team ODI record score of 5-371, beating the previous record set by Kenya of 3-347 against Bangladesh in 1997.
Australia will be without their world class batsmen Steve Smith and David Warner, still under ball-tampering suspension, and the trio of world-class quicks with Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood all injured.
The pace replacements Kane Richardson, Andrew Tye, Jhye Richardson, and Billy Stanlake have only 35 ODI caps between them.
So it’s another taxing transition period for Australia under Tim Paine’s captaincy.
Whether there will be as much interest in the series as a normal England-Australia clash, remains to be seen.
While a premature retirement isn’t the solution, he or England want, he may be forced into it if he can’t maintain a long run of matches.
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