Tarouba [Trinidad and Tobago], August 31 : England and Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) batter Alex Hales became only the third player to join the 14,000 runs club in T20s.
Hales achieved this milestone during his side's match against Guyana Amazon Warriors in the ongoing Caribbean Premier League on Saturday. During the match, he played a fine knock of 74 off 43 balls, with three fours and seven sixes at a strike rate of over 172, while opening the batting. This helped his side chase down 164 runs and win by six wickets.
In 509 T20s and 505 innings, Hales has made 14,024 runs at an average of 30.02 with a strike rate of 145.44, with seven centuries and 89 fifties. His best score is 119*. He is the second-highest T20 run-getter of all time next to West Indies legend Chris Gayle, who smashed 14,562 runs in 463 matches and 455 innings at an average of 36.22, at a strike rate of 144.75, with 22 centuries and 88 fifties and a best score of 175*.
At third place is West Indies legend Kieron Pollard, who has scored 14,012 runs in 713 matches and 694 innings at an average of 31.70, with a strike rate of 150.87, with a century and 64 fifties to his name.
Coming to the match, Guyana scored 163/9 after TKR elected to field first. Shai Hope (39 in 29 balls, with three fours and a six), Dwaine Pretorius (21 in 16 balls, with three fours) and Quentin Sampson (25 in 19 balls, with three sixes) were among the runs for Guyana. Spinner Akael Hosein (3/27) was the pick of the bowlers for TKR.
Then it was Hales, who, along with Colin Munro (52 in 30 balls, with six fours and three sixes), put up a match-winning 116-run stand for the opening wicket, which paved the way for a win with 16 balls left.
Hales, who retired from international cricket after winning the T20 World Cup for England in 2022, is still going strong in the leagues, having scored 210 runs in six innings for TKR with two half-centuries at an average of 42.00, a strike rate of almost 142. He is the fourth-highest run-getter in the tournament.