Harry Brook struck his first Twenty20 hundred on Tuesday, sending England into the semi-finals of the Twenty20 World Cup in fashion.
The England captain reached his ton in simply 50 balls, his explosive greatest at the same time as a succession of his team-mates struggled to get getting into Pallekele.
However the place do Brook’s heroics towards Pakistan rank among the many nation’s greatest worldwide T20 innings?
Right here, Each day Mail Sport picks out the six greatest…
6. ALEX HALES: 116* v Sri Lanka, Chittagong, March 2014
Hales bulldozed his option to England’s maiden T20 hundred to seal his facet’s solely win of the 2014 World Cup and condemn eventual champions Sri Lanka to their solely defeat.
In navigating England to their then-record chase of 190, the damaging former Nottinghamshire opener put out of thoughts each a shambolic fielding show by his workforce, together with 4 dropped catches and a missed run-out, plus a disastrous begin that noticed England two wickets down and not using a run on the scoreboard.
He additionally took benefit of being dropped on 55 throughout a 152-run stand with Eoin Morgan, and Sri Lanka’s spinners being unable to grip a moist ball – Ajantha Mendis was belted for 25 in a single over in direction of the loss of life – however captain Stuart Broad professed it to be ‘top-of-the-line knocks’ he’d ever seen. For its groundbreaking nature alone, it earns a spot on this listing.
Alex Hales goes massive on his option to England’s first T20 hundred within the 2014 World Cup, main a restoration from 0 for 2
5. BEN STOKES: 52* v Pakistan, Melbourne, November 2022
As the present England facet will attest, successful ugly is healthier than not successful in any respect, and this canine of an innings meant Stokes had twice acquired his workforce over the road in World Cup finals.
Preventing for any semblance of fluency on a poor floor, towards a pacy Pakistan assault, he anchored the pursuit of 138, turning 24 off 34 balls right into a maiden half-century within the course of.
Just like the 50-over World Cup ultimate at Lord’s, fortune favoured him – on this occasion when Shaheen Shah Afridi jarred his knee catching Harry Brook, and couldn’t run in when requested to return to the assault.
When spinner Iftikhar Ahmed was requested to finish his over, Stokes pounced, miscuing one blow simply in need of long-off, however then slapping him for an offside 4 and launching him again over his head for six.
With the required charge reasonable, Stokes and Brook dug in and regardless of permitting it to the touch 9 an over across the latter’s dismissal, crucially Stokes was there to muscle the successful run.
Ben Stokes celebrates main England to T20 World Cup glory with a dogged innings of 52 within the ultimate
4. PHIL SALT: 141* v South Africa, Manchester, September 2025
Salt broke his personal file for England’s highest particular person rating and likewise registered the nation’s quickest hundred, off simply 39 balls, on an evening when the file books had been torched.
A belter of a pitch at Previous Trafford had seen Jos Buttler require simply 30 deliveries to contribute 83 to the primary ever 300-plus whole in a match between two Check nations.
Buttler departed with a glance of anguish when the 126-run opening stand was terminated through a simple piece of timing that picked out the fielder within the deep.
It was to Salt’s credit score that he recognised the chance to money in and did so, crashing 23 boundaries in all, punishing a few free hits supplied by uncommon profligacy from Kagiso Rabada and persevering with relentlessly to the ultimate ball of the innings after Kwena Maphaka trod on the boundary cushion within the means of taking a catch.
Phil Salt blazes his option to 141 towards South Africa final 12 months. It’s England’s highest T20 rating
3. JOE ROOT: 83 v South Africa, Mumbai, March 2016
This was pure batting genius from a participant whose single failure throughout an distinctive England profession was to beat the shortest format. On nights like this on the Wankhede Stadium, you puzzled how.
Root didn’t stroll to the crease till the fifth over, however did so within the information that it will take a file World Cup chase, and the second largest in T20 internationals, of 230 to maintain match hopes alive.
His was the slowest half-century of 4 within the match, however had the most important influence as he turned the tempo of South Africa’s lauded assault towards them, slicing, glancing, ramping and sweeping both to or over the rope throughout a 44-ball keep.
Regardless of the gargantuan goal, the Yorkshireman had decreased the equation to 11 off 11 deliveries when he flipped a Rabada full toss to deep midwicket. England received by two wickets.
Joe Root reverse sweeps his option to 83 towards South Africa within the 2016 World Cup. It was pure batting genius as he led his facet to the goal of 230
2. JOS BUTTLER: 101* v Sri Lanka, Sharjah, November 2021
Regardless of his present malaise, it should not be forgotten simply how influential Buttler has been as a top-order batsman on this format.
Recognized for his spectacular hitting, it was a contribution of a unique ilk that must be recognised as his greatest. England’s innings was languishing at 35 for 3, however a participant who had thrashed an unbeaten 71 off 32 balls in victory towards Australia 48 hours earlier learn the scenario and performed to it.
The primary activity was to soak up the strain, stabilising issues with a half-century off 45 balls, his slowest in 20-over cricket for England, earlier than upping the tempo together with Morgan, as 116 runs got here off the ultimate 10 overs. The final of his six sixes, caressed over deep sq. leg, got here from the ultimate ball of the innings.
Paced completely, England’s 163 for 4 was too many for the Sri Lankans regardless of the heavy dew proving a leveller and it helped Morgan’s workforce place one foot within the semi-final.
Jos Buttler smashes his option to 101 towards Sri Lanka in Sharjah in 2021
1. HARRY BROOK, 100 v Pakistan, Pallekele, February 2026
This extraordinary one-man present actually got here from nowhere.
Brook has spent a number of weeks vowing to take accountability for his off-field actions following the Wellington misdemeanour that landed him with a £30,000 positive and took him to inside a whisker of being stripped of the England white-ball captaincy.
Now, right here he was taking it on the sector, strolling to the crease for the second ball of a chase of 165 having by no means beforehand gone in above No 4.
Harry Brook celebrates hitting the primary century by a captain at a T20 World Cup. Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi mentioned: ‘I’ve by no means seen a batsman like him’
Embracing the change advised by coach Brendon McCullum, he refused to let Pakistan’s bowlers settle, belting Mohammad Nawaz for 16 of the 17 runs he conceded on the finish of the powerplay, and enjoying a unique sport to these on the different finish, making 65 per cent of the rating whereas he was on the crease.
The audacity of his putting – such because the slaps for six and 4 that took him to a 50-ball hundred – had been one thing to behold. A shellshocked Shaheen mentioned: ‘I’ve by no means seen a batsman like him.’
It was the primary century by a captain at a T20 World Cup and despatched England into the semi-finals on the earliest alternative.
