England v Afghanistan: Eoin Morgan says 71-ball 148 was beyond 'wildest dreams'
- Published
- comments
Watch Morgan hit record 17 sixes
England captain Eoin Morgan said he never thought in his "wildest dreams" that he would produce an innings like the one that saw him hit a record 17 sixes against Afghanistan.
Morgan scored an astonishing 148 from 71 balls in his side's 150-run World Cup victory at Old Trafford.
The innings came despite Morgan, 32, having been a doubt for the game because of a back spasm.
"I didn't think at any stage it was going to be my day," Morgan said.
"Getting quite old, running around with a bad back, you never think you can produce an innings like this."
Morgan's innings helped England post 397 before they restricted Afghanistan to 247-8, to move top of the World Cup table.
"It was a special day," Morgan said.
"It was a tough game, Afghanistan are a side with a lot of potential and it's the World Cup. We're loving playing in it.
"On the big stage, it is nice to do."
The left-hander broke the previous record of 16 sixes in a one-day international innings, jointly held by Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers and Rohit Sharma.
Morgan's team-mate Mark Wood said the innings was "so special" it made him and the rest of the England team watch from the balcony, rather than sit in the dressing room.
"We're a team that is probably used to trying to smash the ball everywhere and when Rooty [Joe Root] and Jonny [Bairstow] were in they were looking at scoring maybe 280-310," fast bowler Wood said.
"Then Morgy just came in and blazed it and the whole dressing room was so delighted for him, especially after his injury scare, that he could perform like that."
Cricket World Cup highlights: England beat Afghanistan
Morgan reached his century from 57 balls, making it England's fastest hundred in a World Cup, and their fifth fastest in ODIs.
All of England's 10 fastest centuries have been scored by current players and Morgan says he has "become a target for others in the dressing room to take down".
"The hundred I scored is considered a slow one in our changing room, guys talk about it all the time," Morgan said. "Tough school."