With 17 victories from 24 One-Day International (ODI) matches – including series wins in Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and at home to India – 2018 was one to remember for England's world-number-one ranked men's team.
Eoin Morgan's side hit an incredible 723 boundaries including 144 sixes and 579 fours during the year, with 62 boundaries coming in just one innings as England posted the highest ODI score of all time against Australia.
Jonny Bairstow hit the most sixes for England in ODI cricket in 2018 with 31, while Jason Roy and Morgan were tied on 21. Next up was Jos Buttler with 19 and Alex Hales struck 10.
One-Day world champions England Women continued their impressive home form, with series wins over South Africa and New Zealand in addition to IT20 Tri-Series honours – all featuring standout performances from both experienced and newer players. A strong year was capped off by an ICC T20 World Cup final appearance.
Batting
Joe Root
2018 was a fruitful period for Root as he notched up just shy of 1,000 ODI runs for the calendar year. There were two match-winning innings against India in the summer and the famous ‘bat drop’ celebration became one of the iconic moments of the year.
Jos Buttler
Buttler averaged over 50 in ODI cricket in 2018 and his two centuries, both against Australia, will live long in the memory. His first at Sydney in January helped power England to a match-winning total of over 300, while the second at Old Trafford showed a different side to his game as he singlehandedly guided the side to victory under immense pressure.
Sarah Taylor
Taylor struck her seventh ODI hundred against South Africa at Hove in June as England powered their way to a huge first-innings total of 331-6. The wicketkeeper-batter struck majestically, hitting 13 boundaries as the team sealed victory by 69 runs.
Jason Roy
All three of Roy’s ODI hundreds this year came against Australia, each one at better than a run a ball. Most memorable was at the MCG in January as he smashed 180, the highest one-day score by an Englishman, to lead England’s successful run chase in the first match of the series. One of the shots of the summer was undoubtably this rocket off Andrew Tye!
Jonny Bairstow
Bairstow passed 1,000 ODI runs for the year in 2018, further showcasing his skill at the top of the order. With 155 boundaries in his 22 innings, he also scored three consecutive ODI hundreds. Arguably his most memorable ton came when he struck 139 as England hit the highest ODI score of all-time against Australia at Trent Bridge.
Tammy Beaumont
Hot on the heels of the men's Trent Bridge exploits came another world record as England Women recorded the highest total in a women's international T20! Beaumont was in destructive form, leading the charge with 116 off just 52 balls.
Alex Hales
Hales top scored in England’s 481-6 against Australia, hitting an incredible 15 fours and five sixes to power the side to their incredible world record. His maximum off seamer Billy Stanlake goes down as one of the shots of the year.
Bowling
Adil Rashid bowls Kohli
How many deliveries draw comparison to that of Shane Warne’s to Mike Gatting? Enter, Adil Rashid! When Rashid bowled Virat Kohli this summer similarities were immediately drawn. The fizzing leg spinner drifted towards leg before spinning sharply back to take the top of off-stump, leaving the India captain in a state of shock.
Curran bowls Agar
There is no better sight for any fast bowler than seeing the stumps fly. At Old Trafford Sam Curran rearranged Ashton Agar’s in style as he nipped one back to hit middle and off leaving the Australian bemused and definitely questioning his decision to leave the delivery.
Raina caught at leg-slip
Don’t you love it when a plan comes together? A fine piece of captaincy, planning and bowling combined to dismiss Suresh Raina this summer. A spinning Rashid delivery perfectly found the inside edge of Raina’s bat, flying to Root who was well placed at leg-slip to take the catch.