Sri Lanka pull off second-highest ODI chase to stun England as Brook 202 goes in vain

It came down to the penultimate ball of the game. Sri Lanka needed six from two balls, and then Janith Liyanage hit a maximum to pull off an incredible night in ODI cricket. Sri Lanka stunned England by chasing down 430 runs and winning the third match of the tri-series in Pakistan by two wickets.

This meant that the Lankan Lions went past India’s incredible win in Guwahati last month against the West Indies to record the second-highest run chase in ODI history as England captain’s 202 went in vain. Powered by an incredible 130 by Pavan Rathnayake and a 97 from Dasun Shanaka, Sri Lanka pushed the game all the way as the English bowlers failed to contain the onslaught in Rawalpindi.

There was drama in the final over as Josh Tongue gave England hope by picking back-to-back wickets of Dunith Wellalage and Eshan Malinga, but Liyanage remained unbeaten on 61 off 27 balls to pull off one of the greatest wins in ODI history.

Earlier on in the day, Harry Brook scored the fastest double hundred in the history of ODIs, going past the record set by Shubman Gill last month. At that point, Kusal Mendis felt that he made a mistake by allowing England to bat first in Rawalpindi. However, he was soon vindicated as heavy dew came to the help of Sri Lanka.

The Lankan Lions were reeling at one point, being reduced to 24 for two in 4.2 overs while chasing the mammoth total. But Rathnayake had other ideas. First, he set up a 166-run stand with Avishka Fernando, who scored 97 off 83 balls to keep their side in the hunt.

Then Rathnayake tore into the bowlers with the help of Dasun Shanaka, who hit 97 off just 50 balls, with his innings being laced with six fours and eight sixes. Rathnayake himself hit 15 boundaries and three sixes on his way to 130 off 106 balls to get his side close to the win.

The finishing touches came from Liyanage, who hit seven fours and three sixes during his whirlwind knock that left Brook and England stunned at the end.

HIGHEST SUCCESSFUL ODI RUN CHASES

• 438/9 – South Africa vs Australia, Johannesburg, 2006 (T-435)
• 430/8 – Sri Lanka vs England, Rawalpindi, 2026 (T-430)
• 406/2 – India vs West Indies, Guwahati, 2026 (T – 406)
• 372/6 – South Africa vs Australia, Durban, 2016 (T-372)
• 374/6 – Netherlands vs Scotland, Dundee, 2025 (T-370)

BROOK FIREWORKS POWER ENGLAND TO 429

England built their innings around a solid start before Harry Brook produced a breathtaking display of power-hitting to propel them to a mammoth 429/4.

Tom Banton set the early tempo with a 48-ball half-century as England reached 54 without loss during the opening powerplay. Brook then took charge, stitching together a crucial third-wicket stand with Joe Root to put the innings on a different trajectory.

Brook brought up his fifty off 42 deliveries and converted it into a century in just 75 balls, striking nine fours and five sixes along the way. At the other end, Root played a supporting role with a 54-ball half-century as the duo added 150 runs in 124 deliveries.

England moved to 190/2 after 31 overs and 273/3 at the 40-over mark, but the final phase belonged entirely to Brook. He shifted gears dramatically, reaching 150 in 97 balls before completing a stunning double-century off just 114 deliveries. By the time he reached the milestone, Brook had smashed 21 fours and ten sixes.

Will Jacks joined the onslaught with a blistering 25-ball fifty, combining with Brook for a 150-run partnership that came off just 66 balls.

England finished in spectacular fashion, smashing 156 runs in the last ten overs while losing only one wicket, expecting themselves to be in the driver’s seat at this point.

SRI LANKA BATTERS UNITE TO PULL OFF MIRACLE

Sri Lanka responded to England’s daunting target of 430 with an attacking approach, but the early loss of two wickets left them at 60/2 after the first ten overs.

Avishka Fernando and Pavan Rathnayake steadied the innings with a crucial stand, keeping the visitors in the hunt with a healthy scoring rate. Both batters brought up their half-centuries in quick succession, with Fernando reaching the milestone off 49 balls and Rathnayake taking 50 deliveries.

Their partnership yielded 150 runs from 129 balls, with Fernando making 91 off 71 deliveries and Rathnayake contributing 60 off 58. Sri Lanka crossed the 200-run mark in just 28.1 overs, giving themselves a fighting chance of pulling off a remarkable chase.

Fernando looked set for a century but fell three runs short, departing for 97 off 83 balls. His knock featured 11 fours and two sixes, providing Sri Lanka with a strong platform, although the asking rate continued to pose a challenge with 20 overs remaining.

Rathnayake carried the fight forward, reaching three figures in 87 deliveries with the help of 11 fours and three sixes. Dasun Shanaka added further impetus with a blistering half-century, taking only 30 balls to reach the landmark as Sri Lanka stepped up their assault.

The duo put on 100 runs in just 64 deliveries, with Shanaka smashing 58 off 31 balls and Rathnayake scoring 41 off 33. Sri Lanka raced to 300 in 38.3 overs and crossed 350 by the end of the 43rd over.

Rathnayake’s outstanding innings finally ended at 130 off 106 deliveries. He struck 15 fours and three sixes at a strike rate of 122.64, keeping Sri Lanka’s hopes alive with a superb individual effort. However, Sri Lanka needed 100 runs from the final eight overs when Shanaka went into overdrive.

He hit Sam Curran for three sixes in the 43rd over, to bring up the 350. Curran had a horror day, conceding 103 runs from his nine overs.

Liyanage joined in on the fun, taking down Liam Dawson for a boundary and a six before the spinner dismissed Shanaka. But Liyanage was in the zone and took apart Jamie Overton for 14 runs in the 45th over, before dispatching two boundaries and a six off Curran.

Things were getting tight when Wellalage hit a boundary off Will Jacks to make it 13 from two overs for the win.

Overton bowled the penultimate over with poise and ensured he wasn’t hit for any boundaries. Tongue then did everything right in the final over till the fifth delivery. He cleaned up Wellalage and Malinga off the second and third balls to put England in the driver’s seat with Liyanage at the non-striker’s end.

Asitha Fernando fended off the hat-trick ball and gave the strike to Liyanage, who was aiming for the fences. He made a sweet strike with the ball and it sailed out of the park as the Sri Lankan players charged in to celebrate a memorable day in Rawalpindi.

– Ends