Who is the only man to be out for 99 in T20 Internationals?
The number 99 has for long created fear and horror in the minds of even the greatest batsmen that the game has seen. Dealing with thought of successfully arriving at a milestone is only a act for the brave.
Bravery was a word that was tagged along with Alex Hales ever since he'd been around. It was his bravery that got him a call-up into the England ODI setup, after Kevin Petersen was forcefully discarded because of his conservative approach to top-order batting. The times were changing, and Alex Hales was up to date.
While fear wasn't the reason behind Hales dismissal, it certainly is still a record that still stands out.
It was the 24th of June, when England were playing a T20 against West Indies at Nottingham. The Windies managed to muster 173 in 20 overs, Dwayne Smith anchoring the innings with a composed 70, supported by cameos from Bravo and Pollard.
The English innings commenced when Hales walked out along with his partner, Kieswetter. His partner, though, was not in good touch and pulled a back of length delivery straight to backward square leg. This brought Ravi Bopara to the crease, who along with Hales, constructed a then record 159 run partnership. Being his usual self, Hales struck 4 sixes in total. However, a lot of the innings also involved quick running to exploit the large size of the ground.
It was the beginning of the 18th over. Rampaul walked to the top of his mark and ran in to be hit for consecutive fours by Bopara. The next three balls involved a single and two doubles. Last ball of the 18th. Four to win off seven balls. Rampaul ran in nervily and delivered a juicy half volley on middle stump. Hales' eyes lit up as he decided to launch the winning strike to the leg side. But instead, Hales turned around to find his stumps were left in tatters.
So Hales became the only batsman to be dismissed on 99 in a T20 international.