Harry Brook’s sensational maiden Twenty20 century propelled England to a two-wicket victory over Pakistan in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, on Tuesday, securing their place as the first team to reach the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup.
Brook, promoted to number three in the batting order after a first-ball dismissal for Phil Salt, scored 100 off 51 deliveries, a score punctuated by 10 fours and four sixes. His innings proved crucial as England navigated a shaky start to their chase of 165, with Jos Buttler as well falling cheaply for three.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, returning to the Pakistan side after being dropped following a costly performance against India, initially wreaked havoc, dismissing both Salt and Buttler early in the innings. Afridi finished with figures of 4-30, but Brook’s counter-attack ultimately blunted his impact.
Despite Brook’s brilliance, the finish was tense. He was dismissed immediately after reaching his century, leaving England needing 10 runs from the final three overs. Wickets then fell for Will Jacks and Jamie Overton, but Jofra Archer ultimately secured the win with five balls to spare, swinging the winning runs.
Pakistan had earlier posted a total of 164 for nine, with Sahibzada Farhan top-scoring with 63 off 45 balls. Liam Dawson was England’s most successful bowler, claiming 3-24. However, England’s fielding was described as “sloppy,” with several misfields contributing to Pakistan’s total.
Brook’s captaincy and batting performance were particularly noteworthy, given his recent form and the challenging circumstances of the chase. “He’s a powerhouse of world cricket, he’s done it on every stage,” Brook said of Buttler, acknowledging the England captain’s current struggles with the bat. “People have got to cut him a little bit of slack. He’s arguably our best player, he’s just not hitting them out of the middle at the minute.”
England’s victory means they will return to India for a semi-final encounter, with their opponents and the venue yet to be determined. Pakistan, meanwhile, must rely on other results in Group 2 to have any chance of progressing to the semi-finals, with their final group match against co-hosts Sri Lanka scheduled for Saturday at the same venue.
The match also saw a moment of fielding mishap for England’s Jacob Bethell, who dropped a straightforward catch, though he later benefited from a dropped catch himself. These errors highlighted a recurring theme of inconsistency in England’s performance throughout the tournament.
