Alexander Daniel Hales (born 3 January 1989) is an English cricketer. He is a right-handed opening batter who currently plays for Nottinghamshire and has represented the English Cricket Team across all formats. He made his One Day International debut against India in August 2014 and his Test cricket debut against South Africa in December 2015. Hales is the first English batter to score a T20I century, and has the highest individual score of an English batter in the format with his 116 not out against Sri Lanka in the 2014 ICC World Twenty20. He is also the first batter to be dismissed for 99 in an ODI and a T20I. Hales was a key member of the England team that won the 2022 T20 World Cup. In August 2023 Hales announced his retirement from international cricket, focusing on domestic and franchise T20 cricket.
Background
Hales was born in Hillingdon and attended both Westbrook Hay School and Chesham High School (now Chesham Grammar School) in Buckinghamshire.
His father Gary broke several local batting records (including 321 not out for Gerrards Cross versus Chalfont St Peter in a limited overs league match) while his grandfather Dennis was a talented tennis player who once forced Rod Laver to five sets at Wimbledon.
Domestic career
County cricket
Hales first came to national attention in 2005 when, as a sixteen-year-old, he hit 55 off a single over (three no-balls, eight sixes, one four) in a Cricket Idol T20 tournament at Lords. Ironically, he had been picked for his fast bowling ability.
Hales first represented Buckinghamshire in Minor Counties cricket during the 2006 season, and played for MCC Young Cricketers in the Second XI Championship of 2007. He then impressed whilst trialling with Nottinghamshire in 2007, scoring 218 in only his second appearance for the county, following it up with a hundred and two 95s. Notts offered him a two-year contract until the end of the 2009 season. He made his List A debut in a rain-affected match against Leicestershire in May 2008 and his first-class debut against Somerset in September 2008. During the 2009 season, after an impressive start, he signed a new two-year contract extension. On 29 August 2009, Alex hit the top score in the Pro40 2009, 150 off 102 balls for Nottinghamshire against Worcestershire at Trent Bridge.
In July 2011, Hales made a century for Nottinghamshire in the county championship, a score that, according to Cricinfo marked him as "beginning to warrant the attention of the England selectors": it was the second century of his first-class career. He went on to make 184.
In May 2015, Hales hit six consecutive sixes across two overs on the opening day of the NatWest t20 Blast in his 86 not out against Birmingham.
On 5 August 2017, Hales hit 95 off 30 balls against Durham in the T-20 Blast competition.
England
Hales represented England U19s in the summer of 2008 in a series of youth Test matches and ODIs against a touring New Zealand U19's, enjoying a successful time averaging 50 in the Tests and over 30 in the ODIs, including 3 half centuries. After just one season on the county circuit he was named in an England Performance Programme squad in the 09/10 winter. In the 2011 summer he was selected for the England Lions against Sri Lanka and was chosen for all the matches.
2011–2012 India, West Indies and World T20
Following an impressive year in domestic Twenty20, he was selected for the senior England squad to play India. He scored a two-ball duck on debut, however in the following series against the West Indies, he scored an unbeaten 62 in a 128-run stand with Craig Kieswetter as England won by 10 wickets. Hales kept his place in the side for the T20 match against India, but only scored 11 runs off 19 balls.
On 24 June 2012, England achieved their highest successful chase in Twenty20 internationals. Hales was man of the match, after scoring 99 before losing his wicket to a yorker bowled by Rampaul with the game almost won. Hales played in both games against South Africa, making scores of 11 in both innings, although he remained unbeaten in the second as the match was rained off. Alex Hales is the only batter to be dismissed for 99 in a T20I innings.