FOR 12 years Mick Lewis has had the unfortunate honour of holding the record for the most expensive figures in one-day international history.

In 2006 at Johannesburg, Lewis played a central role in an ODI for the ages.

The match saw Australia set a new record for the highest ever ODI total, a mammoth 4-434 built upon Ricky Ponting’s rapid 164 off 105 balls. South Africa’s reply was to win it with a ball to spare thanks to the seemingly irrepressible Herschelle Gibbs (175 off 111 balls).

Lewis’ ill-fated role in the highest-scoring ODI ever was to concede the record-breaking figures of 0-113 off 10 overs.

On Tuesday night that record almost got taken off him by Andrew Tye, who finished with 0-100 off nine overs as England posted the highest total – 6-481 – in ODI history. He is only the second Australian, after Lewis, to have leaked 100 runs in an over.

You could forgive Lewis if he had hoped Tye got a 10th over to take the record off his hands. But 12 years on from that rough night, the Victorian insists the Johannesburg match is nothing more than a memory.

“I had a bad day at the office, sh*t happens,” Lewis told foxsports.com.au – the same line he gave a journalist when he flew back to Australia more than a decade ago.

“The way I look at it, at one stage Victoria had two world record holders. Shane Warne with the most Test wickets and me with the most runs (conceded).”

That match proved to be Lewis’ final outing for Australia, with the national team looking to blood a younger group of quicks. It was an unfortunate note to end his international career on but he does not look back on that night with any major regrets.

“I don’t know of anyone in the history of the world that hasn’t had a bad day at the office. That’s the way I look at it, I had a bad day at the office.

“If I think back, I bowled one over there where I bowled six perfect yorkers and I went for 16 runs.

“Sometimes no matter what you do, there are things are out of your control. If the batsman’s too good on the day he’s too good.”

The former quick’s first thought when he saw the scorecard from Trent Bridge was sadness for Australia’s bowlers and in particular Tye. Tye was playing his seventh ODI last night – Lewis was also playing his seventh in South Africa – and Lewis wants to see the West Australian play plenty more.

“I hope they don’t hang him on one bad performance. He’s put in a lot of good performances for Australia over the last 6-12 months and that happens some days

“The only advice I’d give him is keep believing in what you’re doing, because what you’ve done up until now is what’s been working for you.

“Put last night behind you and learn from it.”