Sri Lanka secured a historic two-wicket victory with a ball to spare in the second-highest successful run chase in ODI history. Despite Harry Brook scoring the fastest double century in ODI history with 202 runs off 116 balls in Rawalpindi, his record-breaking innings still saw England post 429-4 and lose.
Harry Brook pulverized the Sri Lankan bowling attack to record the fastest double century in one-day international history, reaching the milestone from 114 balls during the tri-series match in Rawalpindi. The England captain smashed 21 fours and 10 sixes before perishing off the final ball of the innings, ending with 202 runs from 116 deliveries.
The innings shattered the previous record set by India captain Shubman Gill, who reached a double century off 127 balls against the West Indies the previous month. Brook also surpassed Ben Stokes’s previous England record of 182, set against New Zealand in 2023, while becoming the first Englishman to score an ODI double hundred.
Ranked by the International Cricket Council as the best Test batter in the world, Brook averages 53.08 in the longer format of the game. The England captain stands alongside Caribbean great Chris Gayle. They are the only two batters in history to record a Test triple century, an ODI double ton, and a T20 hundred.
Sri Lanka Stuns England in an 859-Run Shootout
Brook found strong support from Joe Root, who contributed 69 runs from 66 balls while reaching the milestone of 8,000 ODI runs. Will Jacks added a rapid, unbeaten 66 from just 30 deliveries to lift England’s total to a mammoth 429-4, the fourth-highest ODI total in England’s history.
Adil Rashid was left out for Liam Dawson as England opted for a skiddier left-arm option.
Yet the enormous target failed to secure victory. Sri Lanka responded with the second-highest successful run chase in ODI history, overhauling England’s total to win by two wickets with a single ball remaining in an 859-run match aggregate.
Pavan Rathnayake led the chase with 130 runs from 106 balls, earning the player of the match award. Avishka Fernando contributed 97 runs off 83 balls, and Dasun Shanaka battered the England attack for 97 runs from 50 deliveries, hitting eight sixes.
Sri Lanka just outplayed us. They played exceptional cricket to knock off 400. “It was a nice innings but being on the losing side it has no value whatsoever in my eyes.”
Harry Brook, England captain
Bowlers Suffer on a Flat Pitch
The flat surface offered little assistance to bowlers, resulting in records for boundary counts and conceding figures. The two teams combined for 93 fours and a total of 552 runs in boundaries.
Sam Curran endured a difficult outing, breaking his own unwanted England record for runs conceded in an ODI innings. Curran’s nine overs yielded 2-103, making him the first England bowler to concede a century of runs in the 50-over format.
England Faces Trouble in the Tri-Series Campaign
The result leaves England winless and sitting at the bottom of the tri-series table after two matches, with Pakistan currently leading the standings after winning both of their games. Brook acknowledged the team must return to the drawing board.
England must win their next two matches to secure a place in the tri-series final scheduled for October 31.
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