Sri Lanka pulled-off the second highest successful chase in ODI history to beat England in the third match of the tri-series at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday.
Set a daunting 430, Sri Lanka hit the winning runs on the penultimate ball of the match . Pavan Rathnayake top-scored with 130 off 106 balls, striking three sixes and 15 fours. Avishka Fernando and Dasun Shanaka were dismissed on the identical scores of 97.
Earlier, Harry Brook’s record-breaking double-century propelled England to a massive total.
Put into bat first, England racked up 429-4 in 50 overs, the highest ODI total on Pakistan soil. Brook was dismissed on the final ball of the innings after scoring 202 off just 116 balls. His knock included 21 fours and 10 sixes.
Tom Banton and Ben Duckett laid a solid foundation with a 74-run partnership in 13.2 overs. However, Sri Lanka bowlers fought back, removing the pair in quick succession. As a result, the Three Lions were 85-2 at the end of 16 overs.
Banton scored 50 off 51, hitting nine fours while Duckett contributed 29 off 39 with the help off two fours. After two quick wickets, Joe Root and skipper Harry Brook stabilised the innings with a 159-run stand for the third-wicket partnership
Root struck eight fours in his 69 off 66, also becoming the first England player to cross 8000 runs in ODI cricket. At this stage, England were well-placed at 244-3 in 37.1 overs.
The highlight of the innings was Harry Brook’s and Will Jacks batting, both sharing a 179-run stand off just 79 deliveries. The last 13 overs saw England scoring 185 with Brook scoring a double century. Will Jacks also stood tall with a 30-ball 66, that included three sixes and eight fours.
For Sri Lanka, Dunith Wellalage was the pick of the bowlers, taking two wickets in his 10 overs while giving away 56.