A stunning century from Harry Brook guided England to a dramatic two-wicket win over Pakistan in a nail-biting Super Eights clash at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Pallekele on Tuesday.
Chasing a target of 165, England reached 166-8 in 19.1 overs, sealing victory with five balls remaining to confirm their place in the semifinals.
England’s chase began shakily as Shaheen Shah Afridi struck twice early, removing Phil Salt for a duck and captain Jos Buttler for just two runs. Afridi later dismissed Jacob Bethell to finish with impressive figures of 4-30, leaving England reeling at 35-3.
Brook then transformed the contest with a breathtaking 100 off 51 balls, smashing 10 fours and four sixes. He counterattacked fearlessly, keeping England on track despite pressure from bowlers like Usman Tariq and Mohammad Nawaz, who claimed two wickets each. When Brook fell in the 17th over, the game was still in the balance, but late contributions from Jofra Archer and unbeaten Liam Dawson saw England home.
Earlier, Pakistan posted 164-9, with Sahibzada Farhan top-scoring with 63. Despite useful knocks from Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan, regular late wickets kept the total slightly short. The defeat leaves Pakistan needing a big win against Sri Lanka to stay in contention.
