SAM MOAKES looks back at Eoin Morgan's best performances in an England shirt
Whether it’s been the highs of captaining England to World Cup victory in 2019 or the lows of being dumped out of the group stage in 2015, Eoin Morgan has been a stalwart in the side since making his England limited overs debut in 2009.
A combined 9,415 runs across 340 matches in international white-ball cricket for England makes Morgan far and away the country’s leading run-scorer and appearance-maker in both formats.
Morgan retires as one of England’s premier white-ball players, perhaps the best ever, and certainly the most influential. The Cricketer takes a look at his most memorable performances for England down the years...
103* v Australia, 2010 - Morgan's maiden ODI ton in England
Morgan may have made a century prior to Australia’s visit to England in June 2010, but his unbeaten 103 really started to turn heads. Arriving at the crease with England struggling at 97 for 4, Morgan ensured they made light work of their 268 target, bringing up his maiden century in England with a strike rate of 121.17, including hitting the winning runs.
Batting against an Australian bowling attack that featured Ryan Harris, Josh Hazlewood and Shane Watson, Morgan made certain England looked a stronger side than the one obliterated 6-1 less than 12 months earlier.
Eoin Morgan celebrating his century against Pakistan [Tom Shaw/Getty Images]
130 v Pakistan, 2010 - Morgan's maiden Test ton
While he will certainly be best remembered for his efforts against the white ball, Morgan’s maiden Test ton is not easy to forget. England, awkwardly placed at 118 for 4, relied on a partnership worth 213 between Morgan and Paul Collingwood to take the side to a respectable first-innings total of 354 at Trent Bridge.
Ever the entertainer, Morgan brought up his hundred with a six off spinner Shoaib Malik, putting on a show for the likes of Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook back in the shed.
113 v New Zealand, 2015 - Morgan's first match after the 2015 World Cup
Following England’s disappointing 2015 ODI World Cup campaign, new captain Morgan set about emulating Brendan McCullum’s quick-scoring New Zealand in their first match since their group stage exit. Employing the Kiwi’s own style of play against them, Morgan led from the front with an imperious 113 runs from 82 balls, including five sixes.
All five England batters scored at more than a run a ball to kickstart England’s white ball revolution, and Morgan set the perfect example. The successful chase of 349 - a total England didn’t come within 40 runs of during the World Cup - was completed with six overs to spare.
Eoin Morgan on his way to his T20I high score in 2019 [Gareth Copley/Getty Images]
148 v Afghanistan, 2019 - most sixes in an ODI innings
If smashing sixes and breaking records is Morgan’s legacy, then this is the innings to remember. 90 and 88 from Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root, respectively, may have got England going, but Morgan’s incredible 148 against Afghanistan set the tone for England's mindset during the 2019 World Cup.
On route to his ODI career high score, Morgan struck 17 sixes - the most in an ODI innings by an individual batter. Scoring at a strike rate of 208.45, England’s captain well and truly epitomised England’s new swagger, before going on to lift the trophy at Lord’s.
91 v New Zealand, 2019 - Morgan's T20I high score
Not just an ODI phenomenon, Morgan-ism was also well instilled in England’s T20 side by 2019, embodied by his performance against New Zealand.
Morgan wasn't content with playing an anchoring role alongside Dawid Malan, who was striking at over 200, and posted his highest T20I score of 91, including seven sixes.
Alongside centurion Malan, Morgan’s efforts – which included belting Daryl Mitchell for 25 runs from his solitary over – saw England score 241 runs, their highest T20I total to date.
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