Pakistan Vs England: Brook’s 50-ball century carries England into T20 World Cup semi-finals
Harry Brook produced a maiden T20 international century off 50 balls to steer England to victory in the Super 8s fixture, in a match billed as pakistan vs england at Pallekele that decided a place in the World Cup semi-finals. The innings came in a tense chase and has immediate tournament consequences: England advanced to the last four while Pakistan must wait on other results.
Pallekele Cricket Stadium: match outcome and scoreline
The Super 8s, Group 2 contest at the Pallekele Cricket Stadium finished with England chasing 165 and winning by two wickets with five balls to spare. Pakistan posted 164-9 in their 20 overs, Farhan top-scoring with 63 from 45 balls and Dawson returning figures of 3-24. England reached the target despite a nervy finish; Brook was dismissed the delivery after completing his century, yet his knock had already tilted the game.
Harry Brook: promotion, intent and execution
England's captain had been moved up the order to number three earlier on the morning at the request of Baz, Brendon McCullum, who described the change as a tactical decision to maximise the powerplay. Brook embraced the role, saying he wanted to take the game on from ball one and that the promotion — described by the coach as a mastermind move — allowed him to do so. That plan produced a 50-ball century which proved decisive in the 165 chase.
Phil Salt and the mid-innings collapse
The context of Brook's innings was a precarious England position: Phil Salt was out first ball and England were soon reduced to 58-4 as they chased 165 to win. That collapse increased the pressure on Brook's shoulders and amplified the significance of a century that changed the match's momentum.
Pakistan Vs England: moments of sportsmanship and wider group stakes
Beyond the scoreboard there was a notable sportsmanship gesture from Shaheen Afridi toward Harry Brook in recognition of the innings. For Pakistan the result leaves qualification uncertain: they must hope other results go their way and then beat Sri Lanka in their final Group 2 game to keep semi-final hopes alive.
Context on Brook’s recent form and career milestones
The performance carried particular weight against the backdrop of Brook's troubled winter. He had been involved in an altercation with a nightclub bouncer in Wellington, produced a wasteful showing in the Ashes and initially attempted to hide aspects of that episode before later coming clean. The combination of those incidents was described as oversized baggage for an England captain, with thousands of supporters having travelled to Australia for the Ashes and thousands more following at home.
Brook's century at Pallekele was framed as a form of penance: he already holds a T20 World Cup winner's medal from 2022 and a Test triple century, but questions remained about performances on the biggest stages. His prior highest score against Australia was 85 in 10 Tests; both of his hundreds against India last year came in Tests England lost, with the second in the fifth Test at The Oval when a careless dismissal opened the door for India's fightback to draw the series 2-2. His previous top scores at major events were 66 in the last 50-over World Cup and 53 in the previous T20 edition. The Pallekele knock was presented as a more mature response to a difficult winter.
Reaction, follow-up coverage and what comes next
Post-match coverage has included analysis pieces and a verdict from Matthew Henry, alongside clips of key moments, and fans are invited to engage using the 'Get Involved' feature. Broadcasters plan further Super 8s coverage the next day when New Zealand meet Sri Lanka; live text coverage is scheduled to begin at 13: 15 GMT with Test Match Special on air from 13: 00 GMT.
What makes this notable is the immediacy of the result: a tactical promotion to number three led directly to a game-changing century off 50 balls, which in turn produced a two-wicket victory with five balls remaining and a semi-final berth for England, while leaving Pakistan dependent on other outcomes to progress.
