Tuesday, November 10, 2026

England Lions hit record score as McKinney runs riot

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England Lions thumped their highest List A score of all time as they piled on 487-5 from 50 overs against West Indies A in the second unofficial ODI in St Kitts.

The total, in which Durham opener Ben McKinney looted 145 from 65 deliveries and James Rew scored 107 not out from 56, eclipsed the 425-1 the side racked up against Sri Lanka A at Canterbury a decade ago.

In that match, current England Test and ODI opener Ben Duckett plundered 220 not out from 131 balls and Kent’s Daniel Bell-Drummond 171 from 139 after Dawid Malan had fallen for 23.

Ten years on, McKinney and Rew were the stars, with the former smoking 15 fours and 10 sixes and the latter – who made his Test debut against New Zealand at The Kia Oval in June, keeping wicket with Jamie Smith on paternity leave – struck 15 fours and two sixes.

James Rew made his senior England debut in a Test match against New Zealand at The Kia Oval in June
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James Rew made his senior England debut in a Test match against New Zealand at The Kia Oval in June

McKinney was linked with a Test call-up earlier this summer when it became clear that England were going to drop Zak Crawley but the spot as Duckett’s partner at the top of the order went to the youngster’s Durham team-mate Emilio Gay instead.

McKinney and Rew flogged a bowling attack that included full West Indies international Oshane Thomas – the seamer has played 46 white-ball games for his nation, most recently in February 2024.

The Lions won the match by 276 runs after skittling their hosts for 211 in reply in Basseterre, thanks chiefly to a five-wicket haul from Hampshire quick Eddie Jack, who has been included in England’s T20I squad to take on Australia later this month.

Glamorgan leg-spinner Mason Crane bagged three wickets.

Earlier on with the bat, Lions captain Dan Lawrence – in England’s Test squad for the winter trip to South Africa – chipped in with 76 from 56 deliveries and Hampshire youngster Ben Mayes notched an unbeaten 58 from 46.

The Lions have won all five of their matches on the tour so far, following a 3-0 sweep in the T20 series by taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match one-day international leg.

The remaining 50-over matches are also in St Kitts, on Wednesday, Saturday and next Monday.

Jack, Rew’s younger brother Thomas – who made 22 in Monday’s run-fest – and James Coles are the uncapped players in the senior England T20 international squad to battle Australia in five matches from November 21, with the opening fixture in Melbourne.