Harry Brook crashed an impressive maiden Twenty20 worldwide hundred to catapult his England facet into the semi-finals of the World Cup.
Two days after his twenty seventh birthday, the England captain took duty by strolling out at No 3, single-handedly obliterating Pakistan’s bowling to achieve three figures off 50 balls with the end line in sight.
His dismissal from the subsequent supply arrange a nervy end which noticed two additional wickets tumble however regardless of that, and an unconvincing group stage, England have been confirmed as the primary nation into the final 4 of this competitors when Jofra Archer pulled the primary ball of the ultimate over for 4.
Brook’s breathtaking ball placing noticed him crunch 4 sixes and 10 fours whereas these round him prodded and poked.
England bought off to the worst attainable begin when Phil Salt, whose runs had been instrumental in securing victory over co-hosts Sri Lanka right here on Sunday, nicked the primary ball of a chase of 165.
It was the primary of a triple strike for the recalled Shaheen Shah Afridi that additionally included the painfully out-of-form Jos Buttler, who took his World Cup tally to 62 runs off 57 with an underneath edge to an innocuous supply, and Jacob Bethell.
Harry Brook smashed an impressive century to assist England attain the semi-finals
The batsman put Pakistan to the sword with 4 sixes and 10 fours in his innings
The left-handed Bethell had been gifted a life when Usman Tariq fumbled a prime edged sweep.
However Pakistan’s thriller spinner didn’t dwell on the gaffe, making an instantaneous impression along with his first supply of the sport when he induced a nick from Tom Banton, a participant who appeared to query the legitimacy of his motion in final yr’s Pakistan Tremendous League.
It was the primary time Tariq had bowled within the first half of an innings on this event and got here after Brook had taken 16 of the 17 runs Mohammad Nawaz conceded from the sixth over.
Taking part in a distinct sport to everybody else, Brook both hit the gaps or cleared the ropes, that means that the required run charge was at 7.33 when Tariq returned for his second over.
But, as an alternative of milking the singles, Sam Curran fell into the ego lure and holed out, triggering Tariq’s trademark bow celebration and leaving England 103 for 5.
However in Will Jacks, England have the perfect No 7 within the competitors and he lived as much as that fame by retaining Brook firm after which slamming Tariq for a head excessive six over sq. leg in a pivotal sixteenth over that price 14.
England had wanted 41 off 30 balls, however Brook rampaged to a few figures with a forearm smash of a six and chipped straight 4 off Shaheen Shah Afridi.
And regardless that the left-armer yorked him subsequent ball, sportingly congratulating his opponent on his century with a handshake, it left simply 10 wanted from 18.
Earlier, England restricted Pakistan to 164 for 9 after Jofra Archer offered the right begin to being requested to bowl first, taking his eighth powerplay wicket – essentially the most by any bowler within the event – when Saim Ayub’s pull from exterior off towered to effective leg.
England’s bowlers held Pakistan to a rating of 164 within the first innings of the match
Archer persistently beat the Pakistan batsmen for tempo and might need doubled his tally when Babar Azam, on one, miscued a pull past the grope of the bowler in his observe via.
Pakistan have been two down at that stage after Liam Dawson snared the captain Salman Agha, and have been inches away from it being three as Phil Salt hurtled 25 yards across the boundary and bought the fingertips of his left hand to a top-edged pull off Archer when Sahibzada Farhan was on 10.
Farhan elevated his lead on the prime of the event’s run-scoring chart, nevertheless, stabilising the innings throughout its first half alongside Babar, earlier than upping the tempo in a 49-run share with Fakhar Zaman.
Benefiting from bowling quick and straight, a double strike from Jamie Overton, together with Farhan for a 45-ball 63, saved issues in verify.
However one other good bowling show from England on what has turn out to be certainly one of their favoured searching grounds was diluted by slovenly fielding that boosted Pakistan’s complete by not less than a dozen runs.
Twice Bethell turned twos into fours on the boundary, Dawson’s unnecessary shy on the non-striker’s finish gifted one other couple, and Shadab Khan was on simply 4 of a fast 23 when Harry Brook allowed a drivel to burst via his fingers at additional cowl on its strategy to the rope.
