Eng Vs Pak: Brook century seals England semi-final place

In an Eng vs Pak Super 8s encounter at Pallekele, England chased 165 and won by two wickets with five balls to spare, propelled by captain Harry Brook's maiden T20 international century off 50 balls.

Eng Vs Pak: Match summary

Pakistan posted 164-9 in 20 overs, Farhan scoring 63 off 45 balls and Dawson finishing with figures of 3-24. England’s target of 165 was reached with five balls remaining, a two-wicket victory that secured England a place in the semi-finals. Brook fell on the next delivery after reaching his century, leaving teammates to navigate a nervy finish before the chase was completed.

Brook's century and captain's comments

Brook recorded his first T20 international century from 50 balls, described in match coverage as a sublime and majestic innings. The England captain said: "Nice to be in the semi-finals. We're here to do that job and thankfully got over the line. " He confirmed a tactical move to bat at number three was suggested by Baz [Brendon McCullum], calling him "the mastermind behind it [the promotion up to three]. " Brook recalled the morning conversation in which McCullum asked, "Pakistan is your team, how do you feel about batting at number three" and he replied, "yes, let's do it". Brook explained the reasons for the move: "We wanted to try to maxmise the powerplay a little bit more and everyone knows I like to 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. "

Fielding issues and Archer's early impact

England acknowledged lapses in the field. "We struggled in the field unfortunately. It was a bobbly outfield, and we missed a few unfortunately, " the England captain said, while also praising the bowling start: "It is so important to get off to a good start with the ball, and Archer has been doing it for years and nice to take a few wickets early. " He added that "it was a little nervy at the end. Thankfully, we got over the line, and now we focus on New Zealand and play against them with a lot of confidence. "

Pakistan reaction and remaining fixtures

The Pakistan captain reflected on the defeat: "We started well, but couldn’t finish the way we wanted to. Sometimes, you have to give credit to the opposition. Brook took the game away from us. " He said Pakistan will watch England's next match against New Zealand with interest: "We will watch when England play New Zealand – hope it goes our way and then beat Sri Lanka. " Pakistan must hope other results go their way and beat Sri Lanka in their final Group 2 game. Pakistan will return to the Pallekele Cricket Stadium on Saturday to face Sri Lanka.

Path forward and tournament context

This is the fifth T20 World Cup tournament in which England have qualified for the semifinal stage. England will face New Zealand on Friday at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. If England can win that game, then Pakistan’s World Cup dream will return to their own hands. Coverage planned around the next Super 8s match notes a live start at 13: 15 GMT with an on-air segment at 13: 00 for the New Zealand v Sri Lanka fixture.

Moments and reaction off the field

There were notable moments of sportsmanship after the match, including Shaheen Afridi acknowledging Harry Brook’s superb innings. Post-match material and reaction pieces, including a verdict from Matthew Henry, were made available alongside clips of key moments and post-match analysis. Fans were invited to "Have your say" using the 'Get Involved' button on the match page. One comment captured a strand of supporter sentiment: "I despair at the misery amongst some fans. The contributions have largely been shared around so far, the only blot being Jos not firing. Hopefully being in the semis already will take a bit of pressure off for a score against New Zealand. England can definitely improve, but they're still there!"

Brook's century, Pakistan's 164-9, Farhan's 63 and Dawson's 3-24, the promotion to number three, the close finish and the subsequent fixtures at Pallekele and R Premadasa Stadium make up the full sequence of events from this Super 8s meeting.

Closing: England’s two-wicket win in Pallekele, secured with five balls to spare, sends them into the T20 World Cup semi-finals while Pakistan must await other results and prepare to face Sri Lanka at the same venue on Saturday.