Captain Harry Brook scored his first T20 international century to take England into the World Cup semifinals with a two-wicket win against Pakistan in the Super Eights.
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Brook, promoted to number three for the first time in a T20 international, scored exactly 100 off 51 deliveries as England chased down their target of 165 with five balls to spare, despite a late wobble.
After England restricted Pakistan to 164-9, Brook came in second ball of the innings with the score 0-1 after Phil Salt’s golden duck, caught behind off Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Wickets tumbled in the power play but Brook stood firm.
He lifted his side from a precarious 35-3 to 155-6 when he was dismissed, having scored the second fastest century in T20 World Cup history and the first by a team captain.
Brook hit four sixes and 10 fours, surpassing his previous best T20 international score of 81 not out against Pakistan in Karachi four years ago.
He went to the landmark in style, powering Afridi for a six and four to complete his century off 50 balls before being bowled by the left-arm quick next ball.
Brook explained that the decision for him to move up the order from five had been prompted by coach Brendon “Baz” McCullum.
“Baz said that this morning, what do you think about going number three? Pakistan’s your team. I was just like, let’s do it,” said Brook.
“We wanted to try and maximise the power play a little bit more and everybody knows that I like to try and take the game on and I was going to do that from ball one.
“Thankfully it came off and I managed to get us a decent start.”
Afridi, returning to the side, took 4-30 also removing Jos Buttler for two and Jacob Bethell for eight in the power play.
Brook added 45 for the fifth wicket with Sam Curran (16) and even a burst of two wickets from Usman Tariq did not perturb the England skipper who batted with guts and resolve.
Will Jacks helped his skipper towards victory with a brilliant stand of 52, scoring 28 off 23 balls.
Spinner Mohammad Nawaz dismissed Jacks and Jamie Overton in the penultimate over to induce some late nerves, but Jofra Archer hit the first ball of the final over for the winning four.
‘Outstanding’ batting
The defeat leaves Pakistan needing to beat Sri Lanka on Saturday and hope other results go their way to reach the last four after their first match in the Super Eights against New Zealand was washed out.
“The way Harry Brook batted was outstanding. He completely took the game away from us,” said Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha.
“We just have to wait and see how the other results go. We’ll be hoping they go our way, and then we know we’ll have to win against Sri Lanka.”
New Zealand face Sri Lanka on Wednesday in Colombo.
Spinner Liam Dawson took 3-24 earlier and was ably supported by Overton (2-26) and Archer (2-32) to restrict Pakistan to 164-9.
Opener Sahibzada Farhan continued his good form with a 45-ball 63, with two sixes and seven fours, his third half-century of the tournament.
Archer dismissed Saim Ayub for seven in the third over while Dawson picked up Salman Agha for five in the next.
Farhan and Babar Azam added 46 for the third wicket.
Farhan completed his fifty off 37 balls before Overton trapped him lbw.
Source: Khaleej Times