World Twenty20: Stuart Broad lauds Alex Hales’s ‘best’ England innings

Stuart Broad saluted Alex Hales’s match-winning innings as one of the best-ever in an England shirt after the six-wicket World Twenty20 victory over Sri Lanka.

The 25-year-old smashed a six over the boundary to seal an incredible England comeback and finish on figures of 116 runs of 54 balls, becoming his country’s first-ever T20 centurion.

We’ve got away with it today after an unbelievable knock from two of our guys, but we can’t keep dropping people

Stuart Broad

Hales’s ton helped keep England’s World T20 hopes alive ahead of their clash against South Africa on Saturday, and Broad lavished praise on England’s man of the match.

“That’s one of the best innings I’ve seen in an England shirt in any format,” Broad told BBC Sport.

Broad’s side were guilty of a series of dropped catches which allowed Sri Lanka’s key men to escape unpunished and post a target of 189-4.

But Hales’s heroics allowed England to get off the hook and pick up their first victory in Bangladesh, with Broad under no illusions their fielding must improve.

“We’ve been practising fielding with wet balls, I think we’re going to have to make them wet bars of soap as we kept dropping their key men,” Broad added.

“Our next game is under lights and we’ve got away with it today after an unbelievable knock from two of our guys, but we can’t keep dropping people.

“We’ve got to win both remaining games, but the belief and confidence we’ll take from winning this game will be massive.”