Alex Hales and Jason Roy - to quote England skipper Eoin Morgan - "put on a clinic" as the hosts crushed Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in the second ODI at Edgbaston.
Hales (133no) and Roy (112no) creamed an England ODI record partnership of 256 - beating the 250 Jonathan Trott and Andrew Strauss put on against Bangladesh on the same ground in 2010 - as Morgan's men coasted home with 95 balls in reserve.
Understandably, the openers were the talk of the ground post-match, with Morgan and Sky Sports' David Lloyd, Mahela Jayawardena and Nick Knight quick to offer their praise…
Hales and Roy's brilliance denied MORGAN a bat but he enjoyed having a watching brief…
"Roy and Hales were absolutely exceptional. They put on a clinic for the crowd and everybody at home watching. It was an absolute pleasure to watch. I've never experienced anything like that where we were so in control without being reckless. The chase was remarkable."
JAYAWARDENA, meanwhile, reckons the riotous opening stand, during which Hales pummelled 10 fours and six sixes and Roy walloped seven boundaries and four maximums, sent out a message of intent...
"It was a great partnership - they took on the bowlers and complemented each other really well. They told Sri Lanka that this is a formidable England line up and they have to be better to beat them."
The Sri Lanka legend also feels Roy, whose century was his second in ODIs, still has room for improvement…
"Sometimes Roy's fall can be that he premeditates too much but if he can control that - and the more games he plays, I think he will - then he has the ability to change gears."
Plus, BUMBLE was swift to applaud Hales, with the former England coach feeling the Nottinghamshire man, who now has three ODI tons to his name, has made dramatic improvements since entering the Test arena…
"He has forced his way into the team on performance and stayed in on performance. The work he has done Test-match wise has enhanced his game, he is a better all-round player."
As for KNIGHT, he likes Hales' cerebral side…
"The mental bit is the most important bit in cricket and he has done really well by writing things down and conducting some self-analysis. It shows he is a player who is thinking about his game."
Watch the third ODI between England and Sri Lanka from 10am, Sunday, Sky Sports 2.