In the most pivotal performance of his Twenty20 career, captain Harry Brook hit a century off just 51 balls to lead England to a narrow two-wicket victory over Pakistan in Pallekele and advance to the T20 World Cup semifinals.
England was 35/3 and then 58/4 as they were chasing a target of 165 on a relatively challenging surface. Brook nearly did it all by himself, and the two-time champions won it with five balls to spare.
In addition to being his greatest individual score in Twenty20 Internationals, Brook’s knock was the highest by an England captain in T20 World Cup history. England is now the first team to qualify for the current T20 World Cup and has advanced to their fifth consecutive semi-final.
Brook smashed 10 fours and 4 sixes in his belligerent knock as he led magnificently from the front. Brook was ably supported by Will Jacks who scored a 23-ball 28.
Shaheen Shah Afridi led the Pakistani bowlers with 4/30,while Usman Tariq chipped in with 2/31 and Mohammad Nawaz took 2/26.
England have now won all four of their T20 World Cup matches against Pakistan and have also won their last six head-to-head encounters in T20Is.
After Jos Buttler and Dawid Malan, Harry Brook is only the third England cricketer to hit a hundred in all formats.
While England have advanced to their fifth consecutive T20 World Cup semifinal after winning their fifth straight T20I match at Pallekele in just three weeks, Pakistan must defeat Sri Lanka at the same venue on Saturday and pray that the other outcomes go in their favor.
Earlier, England’s spinner Liam Dawson claimed three wickets and restricted Pakistan to 164-9 despite Sahibzada Farhan scoring 63.
After Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat on a flat surface, Dawson took 3/24 with the help of Jamie Overton (2/26) and Jofra Archer (2/32). With a 45-ball 63 that included two sixes and seven fours, opener Farhan maintained his strong form and reached his third half-century of the competition.
England maintained the pressure with consistent wickets, and Pakistan was unable to pick up the pace. In the third over, Dawson caught Salman Agha for 5, while Archer removed Saim Ayub for 7.
Before Overton bowled Babar Azam for a slow 24-ball 25 in the 11th over, Farhan and Azam added 46 for the third wicket. Before Overton caught him leg before wicket, Farhan reached his 50 off 37 balls.
Shadab Khan stayed unbeaten on 23, while Fakhar Zaman contributed a 16-ball 25 with two sixes.
