Joe Root became the first England player to reach 50 half-centuries in one-day international cricket during the second ODI against Australia at Adelaide Oval on Sunday, 15 November 2026, and he did it in a record-breaking partnership with Tom Banton.
Root reached his fifty off 50 balls, on the third ball of the 22nd over, and went on to score 62 off 68 balls before he was dismissed by Cooper Connolly, caught by substitute fielder Liam Scott. It was his 50th fifty in the format, a mark no other England batter has reached.
Root is already England's leading run-scorer in one-day internationals, with more than 8,000 runs, and he holds the record for the most one-day centuries by an England batter, with 20. The half-century in Adelaide added another milestone to a career built on consistency.
The innings was part of a 137-run stand for the second wicket with Banton, made in 136 balls, which rewrote the record books. It broke Geoff Boycott and Peter Willey's 47-year-old record for the highest second-wicket partnership by England against Australia in Australia, and it also broke Matt Prior and Jonathan Trott's 15-year-old record for the highest second-wicket stand by England against Australia at Adelaide Oval.
Root came to the crease with England 19 for 1 after Ben Duckett fell for 9, and his calm presence allowed Banton to attack at the other end. While Banton raced to his hundred, Root anchored the innings, and their partnership turned a shaky start into a platform for 355 for 6.
The record matters because of the context. England had been thrashed in the first ODI in Perth, bowled out for 131, and they needed a response to keep the three-match series alive. Root's milestone innings, and the record stand that carried it, gave England exactly that.
Australia lead the series 1-0 and need 356 runs in Adelaide to seal the series 2-0. England must defend their total to level the series 1-1 and force a decider in the third ODI in Hobart on Wednesday.
At the time of writing, the result of the second ODI was not yet known, but Root's 50th one-day fifty is already a permanent entry in England's record books, whatever the outcome in Adelaide.
Key Questions
How many ODI fifties does Joe Root have? Joe Root now has 50 half-centuries in one-day internationals, the first England player to reach that mark.
How many ODI centuries has Joe Root scored? Joe Root has scored 20 one-day international centuries, the most by any England batter.
What record did Root and Banton break in the 2nd ODI? Their 137-run stand broke a 47-year-old record for the highest second-wicket partnership by England against Australia in Australia, and a 15-year-old record for the same wicket at Adelaide Oval.
How many runs did Joe Root score in the 2nd ODI? Joe Root scored 62 runs off 68 balls before being dismissed by Cooper Connolly.
What is the series score between Australia and England? Australia lead the three-match ODI series 1-0 after winning the first ODI in Perth by seven wickets.