Harry Brook century leads England to T20 World Cup semi-final with win over Pakistan
Harry Brook’s 51-ball 100 guided England to a thrilling two-wicket victory over Pakistan, securing a semi-final berth in the T20 World Cup. Brook’s innings, featuring 10 fours and 4 sixes, marked the highest score by an England skipper in T20 World Cups
Pallekele: Skipper Harry Brook played the most defining innings of his T20 career, smashing a 51-ball 100 to propel England into the semifinals of the T20 World Cup with a narrow two-wicket victory over Pakistan.
Chasing a target of 165 on a slightly difficult surface, England were 35 for 3 and then 58 for 4 before Brook almost singlehandedly carried them through, with the two-time champions winning with five balls to spare.
Brook’s innings was not only his best individual score in T20Is but also the highest by an England skipper in the history of the T20 World Cups. England have now reached their fifth straight T20 World Cup semi-final and are the first to qualify in the current edition.
Brook, batting at No 3 for the first time, showed admirable cricketing smarts during an innings that included 10 fours and four sixes as he picked his battles with precision.
He did not take any undue risks against Usman Tariq (2/31 in 4 overs) and stood tall even as Shaheen Shah Afridi (4/30) wreaked havoc in his opening spell, during which he claimed three wickets.
Brook completed his maiden T20I century with a six and a chipped boundary over mid-off before getting bowled trying for a third big hit against Afridi. By then, he had ensured a last-four berth for England and received a warm handshake from the Pakistan pacer.
The hallmark of Brook’s innings was how he attacked spinners Saim Ayub, Mohammed Nawaz and Shadab Ahmed. His footwork, both front and back, was immaculate, and he made full use of the big ground, running 13 twos after pushing the ball to vacant areas in the deep.
Brook teed off with a 17-run over off left-arm spinner Nawaz, which included a six and a couple of boundaries. The shot of the match will certainly be the inside-out slash that sailed over cover and point. The turn of the wrist was deliberate and breathtaking.
While mystery spinner Tariq got Tom Banton, Pakistan skipper Salman Ali suddenly brought Shahdab Ahmed back into the attack, whom Brook promptly dispatched down the ground.
Tariq came for his second spell and once again got rid of Sam Curran. England were 103 for 5, but Brook found an able ally in Will Jacks (28 off 23 balls) as they added 52 in 5.1 overs.
The contest was effectively over in Tariq’s final over when he bowled a bad half-tracker, which was pulled over the square-leg fence, followed by a boundary off the next ball, putting the bowler on his haunches.
Once Brook fell, Nawaz got Jacks and Jamie Overton, but Jofra Archer pulled the first ball off Salman Mirza’s final over for a boundary to take England into the last-four stage.
Pakistan captain Agha’s captaincy left a lot to be desired, as a spinner like Saim Ayub could have troubled the tail-enders more.
Earlier, Sahibzada Farhan continued his fine form with another half-century as Pakistan scored a competitive 164 for 9 on a sluggish surface.
Farhan scored 63 off 45 balls, and his knock included seven fours and two sixes against the English spinners, who were on target for the better part of the Pakistan innings.
Left-arm spinner Liam Dawson was the pick of the England bowlers with 3 for 24 and did not let Pakistan reach the 175-run target, picking back-to-back wickets in the 18th over.