Pakistan Vs England: Harry Brook’s Century Sends England Into T20 World Cup Semi-Finals
Harry Brook’s sensational, pressure-filled century propelled England to a dramatic T20 World Cup Super 8 Group 2 victory in Pallekele, leaving pakistan vs england with England through to the semi-finals after a two-wicket win.
Pakistan Vs England — Match scorecard and standout figures
Pakistan were restricted to 164-9 in 20 overs; Farhan scored 63 off 45 balls and Dawson finished with 3-24. England chased 165 and reached 166-8 in 19. 1 overs. The official match figures list Brook as 100 and Shaheen with 4-30, while the narrative notes Brook’s century came off 50 deliveries.
Brook’s knock: context, timing and how the century unfolded
England’s captain promoted himself to number three after Phil Salt was dismissed first ball. Brook answered by making exactly 100, hitting 10 fours and four sixes across his innings. He reached the hundred in 50 balls and was bowled by Shaheen Afridi a delivery after reaching the milestone. By the time he was dismissed, only 10 runs were required from the final three overs.
Early England collapse and late recovery
England slipped to 58-4 after a collapse that began with Phil Salt’s first-ball dismissal. Jos Buttler was out for three in the third over; Jacob Bethell fell for eight and Tom Banton for two. After Brook’s exit, the wickets of Will Jacks and Jamie Overton further threatened the chase before Jofra Archer swung away the winning runs with five balls to spare.
Implications for the tournament and upcoming schedule
England are the first team to secure a place in the T20 World Cup semi-finals, though observers noted the side have not always been convincing and were sloppy in the field while restricting Pakistan to 164-9. The team will return to India for a semi-final scheduled for either Wednesday or Thursday next week, with opponents and the venue still to be confirmed by the remainder of the Super 8 stage.
Separately, England are scheduled to face New Zealand in Colombo on Friday at 1. 30pm (UK) before turning full attention to the semi-finals.
Pakistan’s position and remaining task in Group 2
Pakistan must hope other results fall in their favour and they must beat co-hosts Sri Lanka in their final Group 2 game at the same venue on Saturday if they are to progress. The Pakistan bowling highlight in this match was Shaheen’s 4-30, but limiting England to under the target was not achieved.
Leadership narrative: Brook’s performance and past controversies
Brook’s century was framed as a defining leadership moment. The performance followed a difficult winter that included an altercation with a nightclub bouncer in Wellington, a chastened showing in the Ashes in Australia described as wasteful, an episode of being 'clocked' by a bouncer in Wellington, images of drinking in Noosa, and a falsehood that required an apology in Sydney. Those events left questions about temperament and accountability; Brook’s century in Pallekele was presented as a significant answer.
Commentary around Brook’s emergence referenced the variety of past England leaders, listing Michael Vaughan, Sir Andrew Strauss, Sir Alastair Cook, Heather Knight and Ben Stokes as contrasting leadership styles. It was observed that Brook may not have Strauss’s poise or Stokes’s aura, but this innings was called his most mature after an immature winter.
Career context cited around Brook
Brook carries a T20 World Cup winner’s medal from 2022 and has recorded a Test triple century. Recent summaries noted his previous big scores: two Test hundreds against India last year came in Tests England lost, with the second in the fifth Test at The Oval said to have opened the door for India’s fightback to draw the series 2-2. His highest score against Australia was stated as 85 in 10 Tests; his highest scores at the last 50-over World Cup and the previous T20 edition were given as 66 and 53 respectively. The narrative concluded that doubts about Brook delivering a match-winning knock on a big stage were silenced by this century.
