Alex Hales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Alex Hales

Hales in 2014
Personal information
Full name	Alexander Daniel Hales
Born	(1989-01-03) 3 January 1989 (age 36) Hillingdon, London, England
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm medium
Role	Opening batter
International information
National side	England (2011–2022)
Test debut (cap 669)	26 December 2015 v South Africa
Last Test	11 August 2016 v Pakistan
ODI debut (cap 237)	27 August 2014 v India
Last ODI	2 March 2019 v West Indies
ODI shirt no.	10
T20I debut (cap 55)	31 August 2011 v India
Last T20I	13 November 2022 v Pakistan
T20I shirt no.	10
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2008–2024	Nottinghamshire
2018–2019, 2021–2024	Islamabad United
2019–2024	Sydney Thunder
2021–2024	Trent Rockets
2023–present	Desert Vipers
2025-present	Los Angeles Knight Riders
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI T20I FC Matches 11 70 75 107 Runs scored 573 2,419 2,074 6,655 Batting average 27.28 37.79 30.95 37.81 100s/50s 0/5 6/14 1/12 13/38 Top score 94 171 116* 236 Balls bowled 18 – – 311 Wickets 0 – – 3 Bowling average – – – 57.66 5 wickets in innings – – – 0 10 wickets in match – – – 0 Best bowling – – – 2/63 Catches/stumpings 8/– 27/– 39/– 84/–
Medal record Men's Cricket Representing  England T20 World Cup Winner 2022 Australia Runner-up 2016 India
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 16 October 2024

Alexander Daniel Hales (born on January 3, 1989) is a famous English cricketer. He is a right-handed opening batter. He played for the England cricket team in all types of cricket games. He also played for Nottinghamshire in England.

Alex Hales made his first One Day International (ODI) appearance in August 2014 against India. His first Test cricket game was in December 2015 against South Africa. He was the first English batter to score a century in a T20 International (T20I) game. His highest score in this format is 116 not out, which he made against Sri Lanka in the 2014 ICC World Twenty20. He is also the first batter to be out for 99 runs in both an ODI and a T20I. Alex Hales was an important player when England won the 2022 T20 World Cup. He announced his retirement from international cricket in August 2023. He now focuses on playing in domestic and franchise T20 cricket leagues.

Early Life and Family Background

Alex Hales was born in Hillingdon, a part of London, England. He went to Westbrook Hay School and Chesham High School. This school is now known as Chesham Grammar School.

His father, Gary Hales, was also a very good cricketer. He set many local batting records. His grandfather, Dennis, was a talented tennis player. He even played against the famous tennis player Rod Laver at Wimbledon.

Playing for County Teams

Early Cricket Days

Alex Hales first became known in 2005. He was only sixteen years old then. He scored 55 runs in just one over during a T20 tournament at Lords. This was a very unusual achievement. He was originally chosen for his fast bowling skills.

Hales played for Buckinghamshire in 2006. He also played for MCC Young Cricketers in 2007. He impressed Nottinghamshire during a trial in 2007. He scored 218 runs in only his second game for them. He then scored another century and two scores of 95. Nottinghamshire offered him a two-year contract.

First-Class and List A Debuts

He played his first List A game in May 2008 against Leicestershire. His first-class debut was in September 2008 against Somerset. In 2009, he signed a new two-year contract. On August 29, 2009, Alex scored 150 runs off 102 balls for Nottinghamshire. This was the highest score in the Pro40 2009 tournament.

In July 2011, Hales scored a century for Nottinghamshire. This was his second century in first-class cricket. It showed that he was getting attention from the England selectors. He went on to score 184 runs in that game. In May 2015, Hales hit six sixes in a row. This happened over two overs in a T20 Blast game. He scored 86 not out against Birmingham. On August 5, 2017, Hales scored 95 runs off just 30 balls. This was in a T-20 Blast game against Durham.

Playing for England

Starting His International Career

Alex Hales played for the England Under-19 team in 2008. He played in youth Test matches and ODIs against New Zealand. He did very well, averaging 50 in Tests and over 30 in ODIs. He scored three half-centuries. After playing for his county team for one season, he joined the England Performance Programme squad. In 2011, he was chosen for the England Lions to play against Sri Lanka. He played in all the matches.

Early T20 International Games (2011-2012)

After a great year in domestic Twenty20 cricket, he was picked for the senior England squad. He played against India. He got out for zero runs on his first game. However, in the next series against the West Indies, he scored 62 runs without being out. He and Craig Kieswetter made 128 runs together. England won that game by 10 wickets. Hales stayed in the team for the T20 match against India, scoring 11 runs.

On June 24, 2012, England made their highest successful chase in T20 Internationals. Hales was the best player in the match. He scored 99 runs before getting out. He is the only batter to be out for 99 runs in a T20I game. Hales played in two games against South Africa, scoring 11 runs in both.

Hales became a key part of England's T20 team. He played in the 2012 ICC World Twenty20. England beat Afghanistan to move forward. Hales scored 31 runs. However, England only scored 80 runs in the next game against India. In the Super 8 stage, Hales played well again against the West Indies, scoring 68 runs. He and Eoin Morgan set a record for the highest 4th wicket partnership in ICC World T20 history, with 107 runs. England lost to Sri Lanka, and Hales scored only 3 runs. This meant England was out of the tournament.

T20 World Cup Success (2013-2014)

Hales played in all three T20 games against New Zealand. He opened the batting with his county teammate Michael Lumb. He scored 21, 5, and 80 runs. In the third match, Hales' 80 runs helped England win by 10 wickets. He and Lumb made a 143-run opening partnership. In the return series, Hales scored 39 runs. Hales scored 94 runs in the second match against Australia. This helped him become a top player in the ICC rankings. He was less successful in Australia, scoring 22, 16, and 6 runs. He then went on a tour to the West Indies. He was expected to play his first ODI, but an injury meant he only played in the T20 series. He scored 3, 40, and 38 runs.

England was in a tough group for the 2014 World T20. Hales got out for zero runs in the first match against New Zealand. But he then scored an amazing 116 runs without being out against Sri Lanka. This made him the first Englishman to score a T20I century. In that same match, he and Eoin Morgan set a record for the highest 3rd wicket partnership in T20 World Cup history, with 152 runs. England lost to South Africa, even though Hales scored 38 runs. This meant England was out of the competition. They then lost to the Netherlands, with Hales scoring 12 runs.

ODI Debut and World Cup (2014-2015)

Hales stayed in the team for Peter Moores' first T20 game as coach against Sri Lanka. Hales scored the most runs for England with 66, but England lost.

Hales made his first ODI appearance against India. He started well, scoring 42 and 40 runs in his first two games. England lost both games. In the last two games, he scored only 6 and 4 runs. England lost the series 3–1. He returned to good form in the only T20 match between the two teams, scoring 40 runs to help England win.

He was chosen for the series against Sri Lanka. He was surprisingly not picked for the first two games. He scored 27 runs when he was brought back for the third ODI. He batted in the middle of the batting order. In the fourth ODI, he opened the batting but got out for zero runs. He scored seven runs in the final match of the series.

Hales was not chosen for the start of England's World Cup campaign in 2015. He played in the important game against Bangladesh. He scored 27 runs, but England lost and were out of the tournament. He played in the final game against Afghanistan, scoring 37 runs. England won that match by nine wickets.

Strong Performances (2015-2016)

Hales was part of the squad for the five-ODI series at home against New Zealand. He scored 20 runs in the first match, which England won. In the second ODI, Hales played much better, scoring 54 runs off 49 balls. England lost that close match. England lost the third ODI, with Hales scoring 23 runs. In the fourth ODI, Hales scored 67 runs off 38 balls. England won by seven wickets. In the final game, Hales scored only one run. But England won the game and the series 3–2. He scored 27 runs as England won the one-off T20 match.

In the only T20 against Australia, Hales scored just three runs. But England won the game. Hales had a difficult start to the ODI series. He scored 22 in the first game and 18 in the second. England lost both games. England won the third game, even though Hales was still struggling. In the fourth match, Hales got out for zero runs. But England chased down Australia's score to tie the series 2-2. Hales' difficult series ended with a score of 4 in the final game. England lost that game and the series.

Hales was in the Test squad to play Pakistan but did not play any Tests. He joined the team for the ODI series. He scored ten runs as England lost their first game. He ended his difficult run of form in the second match. He scored 109 runs as England won by 95 runs. He scored 30 runs in the next match. England won by six wickets to lead the series 2-1. England won the final game of the series, with Hales scoring 22 runs. This helped England win the series 3–1.

Record-Breaking Scores (2016)

In the ODI series against South Africa, Hales played incredibly well. He scored four half-centuries and one century in a row. He was named Man of the Series. In the first ODI, Hales scored 57 runs off just 47 balls. He then scored 99 runs in the second ODI, just missing his second ODI century. He continued his great form in the third ODI, scoring 65 runs. In the fourth ODI, he scored another half-century, 50 runs. In the final ODI, he finally scored his second ODI century, 112 runs off 128 balls. He finished the series with 383 runs, the highest scorer in the series.

In the T20 series, Hales scored 27 runs in the first game, which England lost. He then scored 16 runs in England's last match before the T20 World Cup.

Hales scored 28 runs in England's first game defeat against the West Indies in the 2016 T20 World Cup. He then scored 17 runs in a big run chase against South Africa. Hales missed the third game due to injury. He returned for the important game against Sri Lanka. He got out for zero runs, but England won the game. He scored 20 runs in the semi-final against New Zealand. England reached the final. He scored only one run against the West Indies in the final, and England finished as runners-up.

Hales kept his place in the Test team for the Sri Lanka series. In the first Test, he scored 86 runs. He shared a century partnership with Jonny Bairstow when England was in trouble. England won the match. In the second Test, he scored 83 runs but did not reach his first Test century. He scored 11 runs in the second innings. England won by nine wickets. In the third and final Test, Hales scored 18 runs in the first innings. He made a brilliant 94 runs in the second innings. The match ended in a draw, and England won the series 2–0.

Hales scored only 4 runs in the first ODI against Sri Lanka. The match ended in a tie. In the second match, he scored 133 runs without being out. He and Jason Roy had a record-breaking partnership. England won by ten wickets. He got out for zero runs in the third match. He did not bat in the fourth match due to injury. The injury also kept him out of the final match. England won the series 3–0.

Hales scored six runs in the first innings of the first Test against Pakistan. He then scored 16 runs in the second innings. England lost that match. England won the second Test, with Hales scoring 34 runs. After scoring 17 runs in the first innings of the third Test, Hales scored 54 runs in the second innings. This helped England win by 141 runs. Hales struggled in the final Test, scoring six runs in the first innings and 12 runs in the second. England lost and the series was a 2–2 draw.

Hales scored seven and 14 runs in the first two ODIs against Pakistan. England led the series 2-0. In the third ODI, Hales made his highest ever individual ODI score. He scored 171 runs during the third ODI against Pakistan at his home ground, Trent Bridge. This broke the record held by Robin Smith for 23 years. Hales' century helped England achieve their highest ever team ODI score in the same game, 444–3. England won the match by 169 runs and sealed the series. In the fourth ODI, Hales scored eight runs. England chased down Pakistan's score to lead 4–0. In the final match, Hales scored 23 runs. England lost their first game of the series, which ended 4–1. Hales scored the most runs for England with 37 in the only T20I. England lost that game.

Later International Appearances (2017-2019)

Hales played in the first ODI against India in 2017. He scored nine runs in England's total of 350. England lost that match. In the second ODI, he scored 14 runs. England lost again. An injury kept Hales out of the rest of the series.

Hales missed the first two matches against the West Indies due to injury. He returned in the final game, scoring 110 runs. England made 328 runs and won by 186 runs.

Hales scored 55 runs off 47 balls in the first ODI against Ireland. England easily chased a small score. He made 32 runs off 35 balls in the second ODI, which England also won.

Hales started well in the ODI series against South Africa. He scored 61 runs off 60 balls. England won by 72 runs. However, he scored only 24 runs in the next match and 1 run in the third ODI. He scored 47 runs off 38 balls in the first T20. He was not in the squad for the second T20. He returned for the third T20, scoring 36 runs off 28 balls.

He started the 2017 Champions Trophy well. He scored 95 runs off 86 balls. His good form continued with 56 runs against New Zealand. However, he got out for zero runs in the last group game against Australia. He scored only 11 runs against Pakistan in the semi-final, which England lost.

2019 Cricket World Cup and Return to T20 World Cup

In April 2019, Alex Hales was chosen for England's squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup. However, he later became unavailable for some games due to personal reasons. On April 29, 2019, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced that Hales was removed from England's World Cup squad. He was not called up for England again during Eoin Morgan's time as captain. Morgan said that Hales had lost the team's trust.

In September 2022, Hales was called back to the English T20 squad for the T20 World Cup. He replaced the injured Jonny Bairstow. After a few average scores, Hales started playing very well with his captain, Jos Buttler. They had partnerships of 81 and 75 runs against New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Then, they set a record opening partnership of 170 runs in the semi-final against India. Hales scored 86 runs without being out. He won the Man of the Match award and helped his team reach the final. England went on to win the match and their second T20 World Cup.

Playing in T20 Leagues Around the World

Indian Premier League (IPL)

On March 14, 2015, Hales joined Mumbai Indians for the end of the regular season. He replaced an injured player. However, he did not play any games for the team.

After not being picked in the 2018 IPL auction, Hales joined Sunrisers Hyderabad for the 2018 season. He replaced David Warner. Hales played his first IPL game against Rajasthan Royals on April 29, 2018, and scored 45 runs. Hales was not picked again in the 2021 IPL auction. In February 2022, the Kolkata Knight Riders bought him in the auction for the 2022 Indian Premier League tournament. But he later pulled out for personal reasons.

Big Bash League (BBL)

Hales has played for several teams in Australia's Big Bash League. These teams include Melbourne Renegades, Adelaide Strikers, Hobart Hurricanes, and Sydney Thunder. When playing for Sydney Thunder, Hales was the top scorer in the 2020–21 Big Bash League season.

Pakistan Super League (PSL) and Other Leagues

Islamabad United picked Hales in the 2018 Pakistan Super League Draft. On December 1, 2018, Hales scored a record 87 runs without being out off just 32 balls for Maratha Arabians. On January 25, 2019, Alex scored his first century in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) off 47 balls for the Rangpur Riders.

In September 2019, he was named in the squad for the Durban Heat team for the 2019 Mzansi Super League tournament. In July 2020, he was named in the Barbados Tridents squad for the 2020 Caribbean Premier League. In December 2021, Islamabad United signed him for the 2022 Pakistan Super League. On February 15, 2022, he left the PSL for a short time. He made a surprise return to PSL before Islamabad United's playoff game. In April 2022, the Trent Rockets bought him for the 2022 season of The Hundred.

Bangladesh Premier League (BPL)

Alex Hales signed with the BPL team Rangpur Riders for the 2018–19 season. He was one of their first two international signings.