Sri Lanka chase down 430 to beat England by two wickets
Sri Lanka chased down a target of 430 to beat England by two wickets in Rawalpindi, winning with a ball to spare in the ODI tri-series in Pakistan. England had posted 429/4, and Sri Lanka finished on 430/8 in 49.5 overs.
The result came despite a historic innings from Harry Brook, whose 202 was the first double hundred by an England batter in ODIs and went past Ben Stokes’ previous record score.
The details
Avishka Fernando made 97 off 83 balls at the top of the order, which kept the required rate under control even as wickets fell regularly. Dasun Shanaka then struck 97 off 50 balls, including eight sixes, to swing the game towards Sri Lanka before a tense final over.
Janith Liyanage hit the winning six off the penultimate delivery. Outlook India gives his unbeaten score as 55 in one report and 61 in another, so the exact figure is not settled. The same report says Brook reached his double hundred in 114 balls, while Sky Sports’ live coverage says 116.
Brook, England’s captain, acknowledged after the match that Sri Lanka had outplayed his side.
A place in the record books
Sri Lanka’s 430 is now the second-highest successful chase in ODI history. It moves ahead of India’s 406 against the West Indies in Guwahati. South Africa’s 435 against Australia in 2006 remains the highest.
Where the tri-series stands
The win gave Sri Lanka their first points in the tournament. England have lost both of their matches, the second being a 87-run defeat to Pakistan on 20 October. Pakistan lead the table with two wins.
Sri Lanka next face Pakistan on Tuesday, 27 October at 2:00 PM IST. England play Pakistan on Sunday, 25 October at 2:00 PM IST, and the two sides meet again on Thursday, 29 October at 2:00 PM IST.
