England’s T20 World Cup 2022 standout, Sam Curran, experienced a challenging performance in the initial One-Day International against West Indies at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua this Sunday.
The left-arm paceman found himself on the wrong side of history by conceding 98 runs in 9.5 overs, setting a new record for the most runs conceded by an English bowler in the One-Day International format. This surpassed Steve Harmison’s previous record of 97 runs in 10 overs against Sri Lanka in 2006.
The critical turning points occurred in the 45th and 49th overs of the innings, where Curran leaked 15 and 19 runs, respectively. These overs played a pivotal role in enabling West Indies to successfully chase down the formidable 326-run target, marking their second-highest ODI run-chase ever.
Romario Shepherd and Shai Hope took full advantage of Curran’s bowling, hitting a four and a six in the 45th over, followed by three sixes in the 49th over by Shai Hope.
Despite a commendable performance with the bat earlier in the match, contributing a vital 26-ball 38 that played a crucial role in England reaching a total of 325 in 50 overs, Curran failed to replicate his batting success when it came to bowling. This disappointing bowling display resulted in an unflattering analysis of 9.5-0-98-0.
It’s worth noting that Curran had shown promise with the bat, forming an eighth-wicket partnership of 66 runs off 38 balls with Brydon Carse, providing England with a late flourish.
This performance comes on the heels of Curran’s lackluster World Cup campaign, where he managed to secure only two wickets in three matches, with an economy rate of 8.07. The 25-year-old will undoubtedly be looking to bounce back in the upcoming matches, aiming to prove his mettle in both facets of the game.
The list of most runs conceded by England bowlers in ODIs now sees Sam Curran at the top with 98 runs, followed by Steve Harmison, Chris Jordan, Jake Ball, James Anderson (twice), Liam Plunkett, and Chris Woakes. Each name represents a chapter in England’s ODI history where bowlers faced challenges in containing the opposition.
