Skipper Harry Brook played a heroic innings, scoring a century off 51 balls in his first No. 3 T20I appearance, leading England to the T20 World Cup semifinals by defeating Pakistan by two wickets. Brook’s aggressive batting, especially during the Power-play, kept England in the game almost single-handedly, making him the first T20 WC captain to achieve a century.
The match saw early drama as Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissed Phil Salt for a golden duck, followed by Jos Buttler’s early exit, continuing his poor form in the tournament. Despite Shaheen’s impressive bowling, Brook excelled against spin, dominating the Pakistani bowlers with boundaries and sixes, nearly winning the game on his own.
Pakistan, opting to bat first, struggled in the powerplay, losing key wickets early on. While Sahibzada Farhan and Babar Azam provided resistance, England’s spinners, Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson, slowed down the scoring rate, forcing Pakistan to accelerate in the latter overs. Fakhar Zaman and Farhan’s aggressive batting kept Pakistan in the game, but England’s disciplined bowling restricted them to 164/9.
England faced a tough chase, losing wickets at crucial junctures, but Brook’s exceptional century guided them to victory with 10 runs needed. Despite a late scare from Mohammad Nawaz, Jofra Archer’s crucial boundary sealed England’s win, securing their spot in the T20 World Cup semifinals for the fifth consecutive time. Pakistan, despite Farhan’s valiant effort, faced an uphill task to progress in the tournament.
