Rawalpindi: Harry Brook scored 202, England piled up 429, and Sri Lanka still found a way past them.
A six from Janith Liyanage off the penultimate delivery sealed Sri Lanka’s extraordinary two wicket victory on Thursday, turning a match seemingly dominated by Brook into a landmark night for the chasing side. Only South Africa’s successful pursuit of 435 against Australia in Johannesburg in 2006 ranks higher in men’s ODI cricket.
Sri Lanka finished on 430 for eight in 49.5 overs, with Pavan Rathnayake’s 130 from 106 deliveries anchoring the response. Avishka Fernando and Dasun Shanaka contributed 97 each, while Liyanage provided the finish with an unbeaten 61 from just 27 balls. Rathnayake was named player of the match.
The chase was far from straightforward. Sri Lanka slipped to 24 for two before Fernando and Rathnayake rebuilt the innings through a third wicket partnership of 166.
That recovery mattered as much as the late hitting: it kept Sri Lanka within reach without exposing the lower order too early. Shanaka then helped sustain the scoring before Liyanage carried the pursuit over the line.
Earlier, Brook’s 202 from 116 balls had lifted England to 429 for four. His innings included 21 fours and 10 sixes and surpassed Ben Stokes’ previous England ODI record of 182. Joe Root contributed 69 and Will Jacks finished unbeaten on 66.
England’s bowling could not protect that advantage. Josh Tongue took three wickets for 79, while Sam Curran’s two wickets cost 103 runs. The match produced 859 runs across the two innings.
For England, the result deepens the damage from their opening 87 run defeat to Pakistan. They remain winless after two games, while Sri Lanka have recovered from their own opening loss to the hosts.
The tournament now moves to Lahore, where the remaining league matches will determine the two finalists. England’s immediate task is to turn individual batting achievements into a complete team performance.
