SRI LANKA WIN AN INCREDIBLE MATCH BY TWO WICKETS!
49.5 overs: Sri Lanka 430-8 (Liyanage 61, Asitha Fernando 1), target 430. So what can Liyanage do under pressure – Tongue puts it tight in the slot … and Liyanage sends it straight over everyone’s head for a brutal six to win the game, and complete one of the greatest ODI run chases the game has ever seen. Harry Brook’s heroics were in a losing cause.
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49.4 overs: Sri Lanka 424-8 (Liyanage 55, Asitha Fernando 1), target 430. Fernando slices over cover for a single. Six needed off two
Wicket! Malinga b Tongue 0
49.3 overs: Sri Lanka 423-8 (Liyanage 55), target 430. Tongue rinses and repeats – straight and true. Bowled. He’s on a hat-trick
Wicket! Wellalage b Tongue 5
49.2 overs: Sri Lanka 423-7 (Liyanage 55), target 430. Tongue concedes one off his first ball, then bowls Wellalage, swinging and missing.
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49th over: Sri Lanka 422-6 (Liyanage 54, Wellalage 5), target 430. Overton returns, with a good ball speared in that Wellalage glides backward of square for one, but a misfield grants them two. The next, short-pitched one, cracks Wellalage on the grille. He’s OK but it’s a dot. A single follows. Nine needed. Liyanage swings and misses. Overton ends with one more single conceded.
Eight needed off six balls.
48th over: Sri Lanka 417-6 (Liyanage 52, Wellalage 5), target 430. Jacks has been England’s best bowler in these late stages and he begins with one, dot, one, before Liyanage straight drives for four to bring up a 21-ball 50. Magnificent stuff. A single follows before Wellalage ends the over with a straight drive over the bowler’s head for four! Incredible. Thirteen needed off two.
Wicket! Arachchige c Jackcs b Curran 13
47th over: Sri Lanka 406-6 (Liyanage 46), target 430. Carnage! A smart reverse scoop from Liyanage off Curran starts the over with a four. A square cut for four more follows – this is crazy. But not as crazy as the next shot, the purest of straight drives for SIX. A single follows. Arachchige’s the new man in but he’s unfazed, ramping over the keeper for four more – but the fun can’t last as he sends a full toss next ball high to long on where it’s pouched by Jacks. It’s reviewed for a high ball but it’s fine. He’s out.
46th over: Sri Lanka 387-5 (Liyanage 31, Arachchige 9), target 430. We’re over 800 runs for the match now, as Arachchige creams a lofted drive for four off Jacks, who is mostly pretty controlled, until one slips out of his hand for a beamer that is hack-edged to third man, with the boundary well saved. Jacks rounds off the over with a dot, a speared in yorker that confounds the battter’s attempted reverse sweep.
43 needed off four overs.
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45th over: Sri Lanka 377-5 (Liyanage 29, Arachchige 1), target 430. Liyanage drags Sri Lanka off the canvas straight away with consecutive fours off Overton, followed by a well run single. Sri Lanka’s batting performance has been brilliantly indefatiguable it must be said. Arachchige nudges a single into a gap, before Liyanage drives the last ball of the over for four.
SL need 53 off 30 balls.
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Wicket! Shanaka c Banton b Dawson 97, Sri Lanka 363-5
44th over: Sri Lanka 363-5 (Liyanage 16), target 430. Dawson starts his over by yielding two singles, before Liyanige sends a brilliant telegraphed reverse sweep over the infield for four. Better follows for Sri Lanka – an on-drive for SIX, then a single that brings to the strike Shanaka, who falls for 97 – his thumping drive taken at long-on by Banton again.
43rd over: Sri Lanka 350-4 (Shanaka 96, Liyanage 4), target 430. Shanaka ramps things up again as he pulls Curran into the crowd for his sixth SIX. A cut single follows, Liyanage drives for another, before Shanaka thumps the cleanest, most majestic SIX of his knock – right out of the screws, straight over the sightscreen. Curran’s retort is a fine dot-ball yorker … but Shanaka’s retort to the retort is even better, pulled over square leg for SIX MORE.
Game back ON!
42nd over: Sri Lanka 330-4 (Shanaka 77, Liyanage 3), target 430. Jacks is back at last, as the air begins to be sucked from this chase suddenly, and boundaries prove more elusive. It’s really canny bowling from Jacks, offering little that’s short and wide. Sri Lanka now need more than two a ball.
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41st over: Sri Lanka 326-4 (Shanaka 74, Liyanage 2), target 430. A partnership of 133. is broken when Rathnayeke holes out, bringing the in-form Liyanage to the crease but he has no time to play himself in, and five from the over is not much use. 104 needed off 54 balls.
Wicket! Rathnayeke c Banton b Curran 130, Sri Lanka 323-4
No sooner do I say that than Rathnayeke perishes, tiredness getting to him, as he offers up a high on drive intoo Banton’s hands on the boundary, for a career best score.
40th over: Sri Lanka 321-3 (Rathnayake 128, Shanaka 73), target 430. Tongue, after a superb early wicket, has struggled a touch today, and Rathnayake eases a long hop over backward point for four. Tongue gets a better length after that, until Shanaka swings inelegantly at a slower ball but its sliced over backward point and zips through for four.
Sri Lanka need 109 from 10 overs. If these two stay together, this is on.
39th over: Sri Lanka 309-3 (Rathnayake 120, Shanaka 67), target 430. Rathnayake takes two off an Atkinson full toss. The dew is beginning to take effect as Jacks sees a Rathnayake drive slide past him on the boundary for four, as SL advance to 300. This didn’t seem on at 24 for 2. Shanaka celebrates it with the cleanest of straight hits for SIX. They’re still favourites but England are really toiling here.
“The record breaking 200 may still go in vain,” quips Krishna Moorthy.
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38th over: Sri Lanka 292-3 (Rathnayake 113, Shanaka 60), target 430. Curran returns from the other end, and is creamed over extra cover for four by Shanaka – a yorker turned into a half-volley. Curran stems the tide, as so often, with a judicious slowie, but he can’t stop Shanaka bringing up his 50 off 30 balls by sending another slower ball wide down leg to the deep square leg boundary. Nor can he stop Shanaka driving the next moon ball into the crowd for SIX to bring up the 100 partnership.
37th over: Sri Lanka 274-3 (Rathnayake 112, Shanaka 43), target 430. Brook continues to reshuffle his attack and brings back Overton for Curran. Rathnayake has found gaps well in this innings and sends an overpitched one outside off through the covers for four. Overton responds with a dot-ball bumper before a gloriously timed cut through backward point brings Rathnayake four more.
Sri Lanka remain ahead of England at this stage – but they don’t have Harry Brook.
36th over: Sri Lanka 264-3 (Rathnayake 103, Shanaka 42), target 430. Dawson is brought back into the attack – where’s Jacks? – and tucks the batters up nicely for three balls. Then, he snares Shanaka in front, sweeping and missing. The batter reviews, and successfully, as his front foot is outside the line. It’s a good over from Dawson.
Hundred for Pavan Rathnayake!
35th over: Sri Lanka 260-3 (Rathnayake 101, Shanaka 40), target 430. Rathnayake brings up a superb hundred in the circs with a controlled cut off Curran through point for two; it’s his second ODI century, the other coming against England at the start of the year. Shanaka later adds to the party mood with a crack over deep point for SIX more.
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34th over: Sri Lanka 251-3 (Rathnayake 98, Shanaka 33), target 430. Atkinson returns, with five of his overs still to bowl, and he thinks he’s got his man straight off: Shanaka tries to pull a short one but grubs it behind where Cox takes a fine sprawling catch. The finger goes up but the batter reviews, reasoning it came off the helmet – which it did. Shanaka then gets away with a straight hack in the air which drops safely at midwicket. A misfield at deep backward square then grants Rathnayake four. The same shot next ball, more cleanly struck, bounces just short and is four more. Rathnayake adds two more to go within two of his ton.
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33rd over: Sri Lanka 239-3 (Rathnayake 89, Shanaka 32), target 430. Sam Curran loves the slower ball and the moon ball but they still take batters by surprise and they can’t work them away here in the first two balls of the over, but Shanaka responds with a pull round the corner for four – he’s going at around two runs a ball. But Curran probably wins the battle for control and momentum from this particular over.
32nd over: Sri Lanka 234-3 (Rathnayake 88, Shanaka 27), target 430. Overton is held back and Dawson replaces him, and effectively initially, cramping up Shanaka until he manages to lift one over the offside infield for four. The next is even bigger, a crunching lofted on-drive for SIX. Less than 200 needed but it needs T20 level pyrotechnics now.
31st over: Sri Lanka 223-3 (Rathnayake 87, Shanaka 17), target 430. Curran is wisely reintroduced, and moonballs it up to the max first up for a dot ball before a well-run three from Shanaka’s bat. But some composure returns from England’s point of view – six from the over is not much use to Sri Lanka at this point.
30th over: Sri Lanka 217-3 (Rathnayake 85, Shanaka 13), target 430. Overton suddenly looks comfortably England’s trickiest bowler – he has three to go after this one – and the batters are finding it much harder to work him away. A single and three dots are followed by a sumptuous gap-finding textbook square cut for four by Rathnayake.
29th over: Sri Lanka 212-3 (Rathnayake 81, Shanaka 12), target 430. Tongue’s getting some treatment from Rathnayake, who swivel pulls into the crowd for another SIX – a fine statement that – as the 200 comes up. Another single ensues before Shanaka opens the face to send a controlled edge through the vacant slip area for four. Next ball, even better, a swing over square leg that just eludes Dawson on the boundary … SIX more. Shanaka justifying his promotion instantly. That was the most expensive over of the innings.
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28th over: Sri Lanka 194-3 (Rathnayake 74, Shanaka 1), target 430. Just as Sri Lanka dare to dream, Fernando perishes, Overton finding some sorely needed pace and bounce. Shanaka is promoted to No 5, and is off the mark with a single straight off. That extra pace and bounce also befuddles Cox behind the stumps, who fumbles his take and yields a bye.
Wicket! Avishka Fernando c and b Overton 97, Sri Lanka 190-3
Heartache for Avishka Fernando, who’s flummoxed by a ball that climbs sharply at him, and he can only hack a return catch to the bowler. A big partnership ends.
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27th over: Sri Lanka 190-2 (Avishka Fernando 97, Rathnayake 72), target 430. Tongue is brought back, and is rudely greeted by a lovely lofted square cut for four by Rathnayake, who improves on that next ball with an effortless pull for SIX off a short ball. A single brings to the strike Fernando, who inches closer to his 100 with a single. England struggling for a response here. Two dots to round off the over at least restore some control.
26th over: Sri Lanka 178-2 (Avishka Fernando 96, Rathnayake 61), target 430. Overton continues, and the batters help themselves to some singles, before Rathnayake cracks a lofted straight drive for four to bring up the 150 partnership in 130 balls.
25th over: Sri Lanka 169-2 (Avishka Fernando 94, Rathnayake 54), target 430. Fernando sizes up Dawson and absolutely belts him over long-on for a much needed SIX. At the hslfway stage Sri Lanka are kind of still in this.
24th over: Sri Lanka 159-2 (Avishka Fernando 86, Rathnayake 52), target 430. Has everyone just been watching South Africa v Australia during this middle-overs push and runfest? As if sensing that a global audience has just switched back, Fernando cracks Overton over his head for four. Next ball, Brook squanders a run-out chance after the batters get mixed up but makes the wrong decision with a wayward throw. He’s had a busy day.
The teams are actually about level on run rate – at this stage.
23rd over: Sri Lanka 152-2 (Avishka Fernando 80, Rathnayake 51), target 430: Rathnayake drives for one to bring up a second consecutive 50, and it’s been a composed one. The singles continue to be pushed but as we approach halfway Sri Lanka know they’ll need to go on the charge at some point.
22nd over: Sri Lanka 144-2 (Avishka Fernando 74, Rathnayake 49), target 430: A deft reverse sweep off Jacks brings Rathnayake four more, then the singles and striker rotation continue. Batting continues to look easy, bowling a toothless chore. I know he’s getting on and not in the best form, but England could do with a bit of Adil Rashid’s magic here.
SOUTH AFRICA HAVE WON!
Related: South Africa v Australia: second men’s cricket Test, day five – live
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21st over: Sri Lanka 135-2 (Avishka Fernando 73, Rathnayake 41), target 430: Dawson switches ends, but there’s not much turn in the pitch and little sense that spin will bring much beyond control at the moment. It’s all very middle-overs like. Some singles happen and not much else.
20th over: Sri Lanka 131-2 (Avishka Fernando 71, Rathnayake 39), target 430: Will Jacks, who’s already had some fun today, comes into the attack – and is thwacked square for four by Fernando; this has been a crucial knock by him on his return to the side. Singles are milked, and England still have work to do.
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19th over: Sri Lanka 124-2 (Avishka Fernando 65, Rathnayake 38), target 430: Rathnayake drives Curran for two, then one, the bowler using his moonball at one point to maintain control, a control he loses with a long hop that Rathnayake clobbers for four through midwicket. Two more bring up the 100 partnership.
Australia nine down – you know where to go.
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18th over: Sri Lanka 114-2 (Avishka Fernando 64, Rathnayake 29), target 430: Fernando pushes Dawson through the legside for one before … Curran fluffs a catch on the boundary after a brutal high drive from Fernando, which appears to have gone through his hands. Four more, from Dawson’s most expensive over thus far.
17th over: Sri Lanka 106-2 (Avishka Fernando 58, Rathnayake 27), target 430: Sam Curran replaces Overton as England seek to make something happen, as Fernando brings up his 50 with a nudged two through square leg. He and Sri Lanka need that – and they’re keen on looseners down leg by Sam Curran too, and Fernando helps himself to four through the vacant deep fine leg area.
And that’s drinks. Sri Lanka are still in this, with two set batters, but they’ll need another gear change at some point, and may not have that in them.
16th over: Sri Lanka 97-2 (Avishka Fernando 49, Rathnayake 27), target 430: Dawson’s doing OK here, offering some control albeit without looking like taking a wicket. But two from the over keeps England on top.
Australia now eight down:
Related: South Africa v Australia: second men’s cricket Test, day five – live
15th over: Sri Lanka 95-2 (Avishka Fernando 48, Rathnayake 26), target 430: Fernando, emboldened by this partnership’s progress, swings Overton over deep midwicket for four to gee up a crowd that, to be fair, now looks bigger than it was earlier in the afternoon. Fernando helps another round the corner for four as England just lapse into the middle-overs rut to which they are sometimes prone.
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14th over: Sri Lanka 85-2 (Avishka Fernando 39, Rathnayake 25), target 430: A dismal souped-up version of Jennifer Rush’s dismal Power of Love is pumped over the PA as Dawson continues. Three singles are milked before Rathnayake pulls across the line with no little panache to punish a short ball and add four more.
13th over: Sri Lanka 78-2 (Avishka Fernando 37, Rathnayake 20), target 430: “Make some noise!” yells the stadium announcer to the sparse crowd in the manner of a Waltzer operator on a fading seaside pier in February. But they have something to make some noise about when Rathnayake hooks Overton between fielders for a one-bounce four. Overton’s a bit awry here and follows it with a wide. He’s then taken for SIX as Rathnayake swings behind to fine leg – this partnership is beginning to bubble up.
12th over: Sri Lanka 67-2 (Avishka Fernando 37, Rathnayake 10), target 430: A double change as Liam Dawson replaces Tongue to introduce spin for the first time. He’s pretty on the money, offering little width, and conceding four singles.
11th over: Sri Lanka 63-2 (Avishka Fernando 35, Rathnayake 8), target 430: Jamie Overton comes into the attack, and Fernando clips an overpitched ball through midwicket for two. He adds a single before Rathnayake is kept honest by some decent length dot balls.
10th over: Sri Lanka 60-2 (Avishka Fernando 32, Rathnayake 8), target 430: Sri Lanka pass 50 with a glorious six, flicked high and handsome into the crowd beyond square leg by Fernando, who threads a punchy drive through the gaps for four more three balls later. He’s playing some nice scoring strokes. A fifth of the way through the innings, Sri Lanka are just under an eighth of the way to the target.
In South Africa, Scott Boland has been shifted at last! Australia seven down.
Related: South Africa v Australia: second men’s cricket Test, day five – live
9th over: Sri Lanka 49-2 (Avishka Fernando 22, Rathnayake 8), target 430: Fernando flicks Atkinson to leg for four more as on the Sky commentary they rue the lack of strike rotation. And there are far too many dots – some of it because it’s the power play but much of it due to a lack of nous and nimbleness. A rare single rounds off the over.
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8th over: Sri Lanka 44-2 (Avishka Fernando 17, Rathnayake 8), target 430: Rathnayake’s crouching low stance is reminiscent of a parent in a beach game, albeit much more effective, but it’s made to look ugly when Tongue cuts him in half with a beauty. It’s a fine maiden, the best over of the innings, and Sri Lanka are miles off the rate.
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7th over: Sri Lanka 44-2 (Avishka Fernando 17, Rathnayake 8), target 430: Sri Lanka overturn an lbw as Atkinson brings one in to Fernando, raps his pads, the finger goes up, the batter reviews – and DRS finds he nicked it. Fernando celebrates his reprieve with a hearty cut for four and a crisp straight drive for two.
6th over: Sri Lanka 38-2 (Avishka Fernando 11, Rathnayake 8), target 430: England aren’t bowling that well to be honest, a bit too much loose and overpitched stuff, and one such is steered through extra cover for four to get Rathnayake off the mark. He repeats the feat off a better ball for four more.
“The ODI batting of wristy maestros has come a long way from SM Gavaskar’s 36* (174) at Lord’s in 1975, eh?” I love the fact that of all Gavaskar’s achievements, that one remains so iconic.
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5th over: Sri Lanka 30-2 (Avishka Fernando 11, Rathnayake 0), target 430: Kusal Mendis, hero of Headingley last month, is the new man in, as Atkinson loses his radar and spears a wide down legside past Fernando – but his sprawling dive next ball effects the runout of Mendis. Fernando shows some defiance with a crisp cover drive for four, plus two more off the last ball.
Wicket! Kusal Mendis run out 0, SL 24-2
Mendis is out without facing, as Atkinson deflects Fernando’s drive with the faintest of fingertips on to the stumps. Mendis is just about stranded and, after lengthy review, he has to go. When yer luck’s out, yer luck’s out.
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Wicket! Mendis b Tongue 18, Sri Lanka 23-1
4th over: Sri Lanka 23-1 (Avishka Fernando 5), target 430: The first SIX of the innings comes with an effortless swivel-pull from Mendis off Tongue – he doesn’t need to hit it that high or hard, just use pure technique. But boundaries continue to be followed by dot balls as England keep control, a control enhanced when Tongue bowls Mendis with a delicious straightener off the last ball of the over. Big blow.
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3rd over: Sri Lanka 17-0 (Kamindu Mendis 12, Avishka Fernando 5), target 430: Fernando cracks Atkinson to deep backward point for a couple before essaying an unusual straight pull past mid-on for which they run two but could have had more. The pitch continues to look even and reliable for batters, and SL will be happy enough with how they’ve gone so far – just need to double the run rate. Easy.
2nd over: Sri Lanka 13-0 (Kamindu Mendis 12, Avishka Fernando 1), target 430: Tongue, in for Sonny Baker, starts with a pleasing yorker to the right-handed Fernando, who’s off the mark with a single from the second ball. The ball’s coming nicely off Mendis’s bat and he square drives another boundary.
“While this looks like a done deal, let us not forget that once Australia thought the same against South Africa way back in March 2006.” emails friend of the show Krishna Moorthy.
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1st over: Sri Lanka 8-0 (Kamindu Mendis 8, Avishka Fernando 0), target 430: As the sun sets over Rawalpindi, with the deweyness that entails, Gus Atkinson gets first use of the new ball, with which he sends down a gentle half-volley that Mendis creams through extra cover for four first ball. Four dots ensue before Mendis nudges down to fine leg for four more. Decent start in the circs for Sri Lanka – a mere 422 needed.
Before we focus on Sri Lanka’s reply, an update from St George’s Park where Australia are 245 fot 6 and Scott Boland leading the rearguard.
Related: South Africa v Australia: second men’s cricket Test, day five – live
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“That’s just silly,” emails Robert Wilson of Brook’s fireworks. “Plus, I actually thought his timing was a bit off. Might have been the mics but it didn’t quite sound like the full crack of felicitous contact. Imagine if he’d been on proper form. Double-plus, I’m still pretty sure I could do that. Under the right conditions*.
*If I was batting against a team of six year olds*
**Better make it five year olds.”
Well yeah, that was the thing about that innings. Normally, the most striking (literally) aspect of Brook’s game is the forceful cleanness with which he hits the ball, bit this was all about agility, hand and wrist movement – perfect subcontinental batting.
Thanks Rob. Afternoon/evening everyone. How to follow that, both as a batter and an OBOer? You can’t, frankly. Sri Lanka must be mightily sick of bowling to England – and it must be said they didn’t do it very well in Harry Brook’s Pindi playground, sorely lacking a fifth bowler after the four main ones sputtered. You’d assume this one’s done and dusted but there are bowlers and batters with cases to make, so let’s see.
My head is spinning. I feel like Dasun Shanaka (6-0-74-0), so I’m going to hand over to Tom Davies for the runchase (sic).
Thanks for your company, what day are you?
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Sri Lanka’s fifth bowler, a combination of Shanaka, Mendis and Liyanage, finished with figures of 10-0-123-1. But that wicket came from the last ball of the innings, so they had the last laugh.
Well, this piece was well timed
Related: Golden bat or ball: does cricket need an equivalent to the Ballon d’Or? | Taha Hashim
And this piece is well worth a read too.
Related: The Spin | Writing a book with Chris Woakes showed the inner steel of the nicest man in cricket
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Harry Brook vs the record books
Brook made 202 from 116 balls with 21 fours and 10 sixes. He was 13 from 24 at one stage, so he hammered* 189 from the last 92.
His double-century came from 114 balls, the quickest in ODI history. The previous fastest was Shubman Gill, who needed 117 balls against West Indies in Guwahati last month.
Brook made the first ODI double-century by an England batter. He romped past England’s previous highest score, Ben Stokes’ 182 not out against New Zealand in 2023.
England 429-4 is the highest score in an ODI in Pakistan.
England hit 296 from the last 25 overs of the innings.
* Actually, that’s the wrong word because so many of his runs came behind square through the deftest of wristwork and placement
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50 overs: England 429-4 (Jacks 66) Right, what the hell was that?
Before any of us try to answer that question, we need to go through the records. Nurse, the Wisdens!
“Well,” writes Eddy Nason, “that’s ruined his average.”
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WICKET! England 429-4 (Brook c Arachchiage b Liyanage 202)
Brook slashes the last ball of the innings to short third and walks off to a standing ovation from an open-mouthed England balcony.
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Harry Brook smashes the fastest-ever ODI double-century!
Janith Liyanage is brought back for the final over. Imagine his internal monlogue when he realised Kusal Mendis was looking in his direction. Brook, on 186 at the start of the over, blazes the first ball over extra cover for his tenth six.
Brook wheezes back for consecutive twos. He’s 196 not out, three balls remaining. And he’s done it! He premeditates a ramp for four to reach 200 from 114 balls! Genius? Nah, we need a new word.
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Harry Brook smashes England's highest ODI score!
49th over: England 413-3 (Brook 186, Jacks 66) Madushanka has the misfortune of bowling the penultimate over Jacks bullets a six through the fielder at long off. England have scored 400 for the third time since Harry Brook took over as captain.
Don’t bother making that the headline. Two balls later, Brook times a low full toss from Madushanka for six to break Ben Stokes’ record for the highest ODI score by an England batter. Stokes made 182 not out against New Zealand in 2023, but that’s all ancient history now.
Brook is dropped off the last ball, a tough running chance at mid-on. He takes a single to keep the strike, which means the double century is on!
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Quick question Does anyone know what day this is?
48th over: England 397-3 (Brook 177, Jacks 59) Jacks violates Shanaka over long off to bring up the highest ODI score in Pakistan. Another full ball is pumped for six, this time over wide long on. Mercy.
Jacks smears a full toss for four to bring up a 24-ball fifty, then belts another full bunger through extra cover for four. This is carnage, redefined. Sri Lanka’s fifth bowler has gone for 111 in nine overs.
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47th over: England 373-3 (Brook 177, Jacks 36) Malinga almost nails a wide delivery to Brook. Almost: Brook walks across, gets down on one knee and laps it past leg stump for four. Sorry, what?
Shanaka doesn’t know what day it is or what name his parents gave him, never mind what length to bowl. A very short ball is pummelled over extra cover for four more by Brook, who is now 177 not out from 106 balls. He’s one hit away from the England record.
After the Pakistan defeat on Tuesday, Brook said England needed to put more pressure on the opposition bowlers. Walk the talk? He’s running the bloody marathon!
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46th over: England 362-3 (Brook 168, Jacks 35) Brook uses his rubber wrists to whip Fernando behind square on the leg side for four. Yeah, fours are good but languid sixes down the ground are better. Brook launches his eighth six before taking a single to keep strike.
Wherever he is in the world, I hope Kevin Pietersen is watching this.
“I do remember the 1979 World Cup final, I’m afraid,” says John Stedman. “Wasn’t that the one when Clive Lloyd, one of the finest fielders to have ever played the game dropped Geoff Boycott, with disastrous consequences - for England?”
In defence of Sir Geoffrey, England would have lost that game 10 times out of 10 once West Indies reached 286-9. (Also, it was Beefy who encouraged Boycott and Mike Brearley to continue at the same tempo, but that’s another story.)
45th over: England 351-3 (Brook 158, Jacks 34) Brook deliberately opens the face to slice an attempted wide yorker Malinga over short third for six. I mean, why wouldn’t you? It’s the oldest shot in the book.
Sri Lanka, their collective brain utterly fried, waste their last review when Jacks chased a wide yorker and is beaten.
Five overs remaining, 25 needed for Brook to beat Stokes’ record.
“Hello Rob,” writes Krishnamoorthy V. “Should we change the name from Brook to Flood or Torrent?”
The highest ODI score by an England batter is Ben Stokes’ 182 not out against New Zealand in 2023. It’s toast.
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Brook races past 150!
44th over: England 338-3 (Brook 151, Jacks 29) Fernando knocks Brook off his feet with a terrific yorker outside off stump. Brook dusts himself down and responds with the jauntiest of reverse laps for four.
Fernando nails another yorker to make it two dot balls in three, so Brook charges his next delivery and slashes it deliberately for four. Brook’s skill, audacity and imagination often overshadow the brilliance of his placement.
Oh good lord, stop this now. Brook moves past 150 with a reverse lap over short third for yet another boundary. He’s 151 not out from 97 balls, with 16 fours and seven sixes. Oh, and at one stage he was 13 from 24.
When Brook plays like this, he makes Stick Cricket look like a 1960s Ashes Test.
43rd over: England 323-3 (Brook 138, Jacks 29) Brook scoops Malinga for his seventh six. Yawn, another six. A single down the ground takes him past his previous ODI best, a coruscating 136* (from 66 balls) against Sri Lanka in January.
If Brook wasn’t batting like Stan McCabe circa 1938, we’d be raving about Will Jacks’ innings. He flicks four more and has raced to 29 from 12 balls. Sri Lanka – who won the toss, remember – are in a world of pain.
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Sri Lanka’s fifth bowler, a combination of Shanaka, Kamindu Mendis and Liyanage, has figures of 8-0-83-0. If you’re an England fan who remembers the 1979 World Cup final, you have permission to wince.
42nd over: England 309-3 (Brook 130, Jacks 24) Sri Lanka are haemorrhaging boundaries. Jacks larrups three in four deliveries off Madushanka – don’t ask me to describe them, I can’t keep up – in an over that costs 16. Never mind 350; England will want at least 400 from this position.
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Breaking news: Harry Brook is on one
41st over: England 293-3 (Brook 129, Jacks 9) Brook shapes to ramp Shanaka, who bowls a low full toss well wide of off stump. Brook adjusts his hands and tickles it past short third and away to the boundary. That’s absolu… is that even legal? It’s an extraordinary shot.
And that’s just for starters. Brook flips six over square leg, panels four over extra cover and smears a straight hit for four more. Twenty from the over.
I vividly recall standing at a bus stop in Orkney in the summer of 2018, listening to a Test Match Special podcast, when Michael Vaughan said there was a kid at Yorkshire who would play for England. I’d never heard of Harry Brook, but Vaughan spoke with such certainty that I made a point of following his career. In the next two seasons he averaged 25 and 21 in first-class cricket, and I thought Vaughany has sold us a pup. Wrong!
40th over: England 273-3 (Brook 109, Jacks 9) Brook repeats the ramp stroke next ball. A rattled Fernando bowls a front-foot no-ball and, though England can’t take advantage of the free hit, it’s another big over: 14 from it.
A sensational hundred from Harry Brook!
Brook ramps Asitha Fernando for four to reach another magnificent century: 75 balls, nine fours, five sixes. It’s his fourth hundred in ODIs, all as captain. He was 13 not out from 24 balls, which means he’s hit 88 from the last 51.
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39th over: England 259-3 (Brook 97, Jacks 8) An utterly brilliant stroke from Brook, who steers a near-perfect wide yorker from Madushanka for four. He did that a few times during the Hundred as well. First they came for the yorker, these batting geniuses; now they’re going after the wide yorker. No delivery is safe.
Jacks bullies his first boundary to make it 11 from the over. Never mind 300; England will want at least 350 from this position.
38th over: England 248-3 (Brook 92, Jacks 2) Will Jacks, the best finisher in this England team, is promoted to No5. Another good over from Asitha Fernando, who has become a pretty reliable attack leader for Sri Lanka. His figures today are 7-1-29-1. Yep, one: a maiden.
WICKET! England 244-3 (Root c Wellalage b Fernando 69)
Root tries to chip Asitha Fernando over the leg side and spoons a simple catch to midwicket. He’ll be annoyed to miss out on a century but he’s given England a superb platform with a quietly charming innings of 69 from 66 balls.
37th over: England 244-2 (Root 69, Brook 90) Brook manhandles Malinga back over his head and away to the boundary. Fours are good, sixes are better: the next ball is a low full toss that Brook pings beautifully over backward square and into the crowd. An expensive over ends with a short ball that Brook wallops for four.
He and Root had to take their medicine at the start of their partnership, when it was tough to rotate strike never mind hit boundaries. It was worth it: they found their rhythm and have pillaged 111 from the last 12 overs.
Travis Head is one of the best big-game players in cricket history, and he’s doing it again in Gqeberha.
Related: South Africa v Australia: second men’s cricket Test, day five – live
Joe Root reaches 8000 ODI runs
36th over: England 228-2 (Root 69, Brook 75) Yawn, another milestone for Joe Root. He chips Wellalage over extra cover for four, then works two into the leg side to become the first England player to score 8000 ODI runs.
Root is suddenly all over Wellalage. He sweeps four more off the final ball of Wellalage’s spell to move to 69 from 65 balls. That includes five brilliant boundaries from his last 13 balls. Unobtrusive, you say?
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35th over: England 217-2 (Root 59, Brook 75) Root drags Malinga through backward square leg for four, an expertly placed stroke that was angled just enough to beat the man on the boundary. In their distinctive ways, Root and Brook are a life-affirming watch.
Fifty for Joe Root
34th over: England 209-2 (Root 52, Brook 74) Respect my foot. Root races to his 49th ODI fifty with back-to-back boundaries off Wellalage. A jaunty reverse sweep prompted Wellalage to pull his length back, so Root clobbered another boundary over the leg side. It’s been a typical, almost cliched Root innings: 54 balls, five fours, zero obtrusiveness.
A reminder that Root needs 64 today to become the first Englishman to make 8000 ODI runs. Oh, and he’s averaging 109 in ODIs this year.
33rd over: England 198-2 (Root 43, Brook 72) Brook’s ability and imagination are borderline offensive. He makes room to lift a slower short ball from Malinga over the fielder at short third and away for four.
A good over from Malinga includes the first suggestion of reverse swing. From memory, Sri Lanka used reverse swing very effectively when they beat England at Headingley last month.
32nd over: England 193-2 (Root 42, Brook 68) England continue to play Wellalage with nuff respect, taking three singles from his eighth over. Wellalage has outstanding figures of 8-0-34-2.
31st over: England 190-2 (Root 40, Brook 67) Breaking news: Harry Brook is on the rampage. He smokes Madushanka for 16 in three balls: a flash through backward point for four, a straight drive on the charge for four and a devastating back-foot slap down the ground for six.
Madushanka almost has the final word with a slower short ball that Brook top-edges fractionally short of the keeper. After a mini-orgy of 57 runs in six overs, it’s time for drinks.
30th over: England 174-2 (Root 39, Brook 52) Sri Lanka reintroduce the left-arm spinner Wellalage, hoping the horse hasn’t bolted. England are in a strong position, meaning Root and Brook can play low-risk cricket: two singles apiece.
Fifty for Harry Brook
29th over: England 170-2 (Root 37, Brook 50) Brook dabs Asitha for a single to reach a punishing fifty from 42 balls, including 37 runs from the 18. And it continues his superb form in ODIs since he took over from Jos Buttler.
Captain 1081 runs at 51.47; strike-rate 115; three hundreds, six fifties.
Not captain 504 runs at 25.20; SR 89; no hundreds, three fifties.
Root looks at his bat in confusion after mistiming a chip that only just clears midwicket.
(Edit: I forgot that those Brook stats include some games as stand-in captain in 2024. Since he took over full-time in 2025, he averages around 45 with a strike-rate of 111.)
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28th over: England 167-2 (Root 35, Brook 49) Liyanage is hooked after conceding 16 from his first over. Shanaka replaces him and bowls a poor ball that Root touches off the hip for four. He is also starting to rotate strike again after a quiet few overs.
A brusque pull from Brook races through midwicket for four. The fielder on the boundary made a diving stop but was touching the sponge as he did so. England have scored 34 from the last three overs.
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27th over: England 155-2 (Root 29, Brook 44) Asitha Fernando replaces Kamindu Mendis. Nowt much to report: one bye, five singles.
More importantly, play is belatedly underway in Gqeberha.
Related: South Africa v Australia: second men’s cricket Test, day five – live
26th over: England 149-2 (Root 26, Brook 42) The new bowler Janith Liyanage is clattered down the ground for four by Brook, who then jumps across to scoop an extravagant six.
Brook has taken a short cut from first gear to fifth. After struggling to 13 not out from 24 balls, he has blistered 29 from the last 11. One day, when we’re old and doddery, we’ll realise how lucky we were to watch Joe Root and Harry Brook bat.
25th over: England 133-2 (Root 25, Brook 28) After a fast start, Root is struggling to rotate strike. It makes no sense, but the same thing against Pakistan on Tuesday. This has certainly been an innings of two halves: 20 from the first 15 balls, 5 from the last 15.
“Greetings from Barcelona!” says Gary Naylor. “I can’t find a bar showing the cricket. Mind you, I suspect the same would be true in London #MakeCricketGreatAgain.”
24th over: England 130-2 (Root 24, Brook 26) Something has given. Brook breaks the shackles by hitting consecutive balls from Kamindu Mendis for six. The first was an effortless drive over extra cover, the second a withering pull when Mendis pulled his length back. And with that, his strike rate jumps to 96.
23rd over: England 117-2 (Root 24, Brook 13) Brook fails to put away a full toss from Madushanka, then misses a dab outside off stump. Brook has a strike-rate of 57, and something is surely about to give.
22nd over: England 115-2 (Root 23, Brook 12) A change of left-arm spinner, with Kamindu Mendis on for Wellalage. Four from the over. It’s a bit of a struggle for England just now, Brook in particular; he has 12 from 19 balls with no boundaries. What hell kinda Harry Brook innings is this?
21st over: England 111-2 (Root 22, Brook 9) The left-arm quick Madushanka returns. He goes round the wicket in an attempt to cramp the two right-handers, a tactic that works effectively to Root in that over.
Madushanka also has an unsuccessful LBW review when Root flicks across the line. The angle meant it was always going to miss leg stump, so Sri Lanka lose a review.
20th over: England 110-2 (Root 22, Brook 8) Brook charges Wellalage and mistimes a mow along the floor to midwicket. The fielder flings the ball whence it came and hits the stumps, which leads to a precautionary run-out referral. Brook was back in his crease. Better to be safe than sorry, I guess. Or is it.
A good over from Wellalage costs only three. Root has 22 from 18 balls, Brook 8 from 12.
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19th over: England 107-2 (Root 21, Brook 6) Shanaka is bowling around 75mph, but the keeper (and captain) Kusal Mendis isn’t up to the stumps. That’s hard to fathom given the problems Root and Brook have had with that tactic in Test cricket. I just don’t know what’s going off out there.
Root and Brook continue to milk ones and twos. Although England have plenty of batting to come, the 13 players on the field know this is the key partnership.
18th over: England 102-2 (Root 18, Brook 4) Brook plays an indeterminate shot at Wellalage and is beaten. As Nasser says on Sky, Brook said in his post-match interview on Tuesday that England weren’t positive enough against the spinners, so you’d imagine he’ll go after Wellalage if he gets his eye in.
For now England are dealing in ones and twos against Wellalage. Six from the over.
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17th over: England 96-2 (Root 16, Brook 0) Root times Shanaka through midwicket for four, not once but twice, and takes a single off the last ball to move to 16 from 12 balls. He is a model of unobtrusive class. But you already know that; you’ve been watching him for 14 years.
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16th over: England 85-2 (Root 5, Brook 0) That was the last ball before drinks.
Arafat Minhas and Dunith Wellalage, the two left-arm spinners who have bowled against England in this tri-series, have combined figures of 8-58 from 12.4 overs. Is this what you call specialist mentoring, KP?
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WICKET! England 85-2 (Duckett LBW b Wellalage 29)
England have got the slow left-arm blues. Duckett misses a sweep at Wellalage and is plumb LBW – so plumb that he barely discusses a review with Joe Root. He struggled for much of the innings and is on his way for 29 from 39 balls.
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15th over: England 78-1 (Duckett 26, Root 1) Duckett tries to cut the new bowler Dasan Shanaka and gets a bottom-edge past the stumps. A good first over from Shanaka, bowling a very tight line to Duckett from over the wicket. Duckett was unable to free his arms and chewed up five successive dot balls.
14th over: England 76-1 (Duckett 24, Root 1) Joe Root is the new batter. If he scores 64 today he’ll become the first Englishman to score 8000 ODI runs.
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WICKET! England 74-1 (Banton c Liyanaga b Wellalage 50)
Oh dear. For the second time in three days, Tom Banton is out straight after reaching his fifty. He tried to chip inside-out over extra cover but screwed the ball towards wide long-off and was comfortably caught by Liyanage. A frustrating end to a fine innings.
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13th over: England 74-0 (Banton 50, Duckett 23) Glory be, Ben Duckett has found the middle of his bat. He takes 14 from Malinga’s fourth over – three twos to get moving, then consecutive boundaries to end the over. Both were excellent shots, a thump through extra cover and a well-timed flick off the pads.
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Another fifty for Tom Banton
12th over: England 60-0 (Banton 50, Duckett 9) Banton reverse-sweeps a single to bring up an excellent half-century from 48 balls. He’s hit nine fours, although the majority were timed rather than hit. It’s Banton’s fourth 50+ score in five innings since he was moved up to open.
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11th over: England 57-0 (Banton 49, Duckett 7) Banton pulls Malinga for two to move within one run of another half-century. He has 49 from 46 balls, Duckett 7 from 20.
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10th over: England 54-0 (Banton 47, Duckett 6) The left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage, recalled today, comes on to bowl the last over of the Powerplay. Banton hoicks a reverse sweep over the top for four to bring up an uneven fifty partnership. He’s one hit away from his own fifty.
“One of the problems with a tri-series is that nobody turns up for the neutral games,” writes Andrew Goudie. “I hope there will be more of a crowd in the evening.”
9th over: England 48-0 (Banton 42, Duckett 5) Duckett slaps Malinga to backward point and is dropped by Arachchige, a pretty straightforward chance. That could prove costly for Sri Lanka, though right now Duckett is struggling: he has 5 from 16 balls and a bat with no middle.
8th over: England 47-0 (Banton 41, Duckett 5) Fernando changes ends to replace Madushanka. Banton doesn’t care who’s bowling. He stands tall to slice a drive through backward point for four, then clatters another boundary through mid-off.
Two months ago, Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell were England’s preferred opening partnership for the World Cup; right now they feel like rivals for a place alongside Banton.
“I’m (almost) simultaneously working on a Lingala-English dictionary, reading Geoff Lemon describing the weather in South Africa, and looking at your Eng vs Sri Lanka OBO,” writes John Stedman. “The latter is by far the most boring – not due to your scintillating commentary, of course, but because tri-series seem so pointless, whereas the Test match in SA is gripping. Just an opinion.”
I prefer tri-series to bilateral fixtures. That aside, I’m nodding like a Wackeldackel.
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7th over: England 37-0 (Banton 32, Duckett 4) Eshan Malinga, nephew of, replaces Asitha Fernando and starts with a wide. Banton plays another beautiful stroke, pushing a boundary to the left of mid-on. His timing has been exquisite, and in this form he looks undroppable.
“Good morning,” writes John Starbuck. “Yes, there are some of us following the action; you are not typing into a void just yet.”
Yet. (NB: clip contains some effin’ and jeffin’.)
6th over: England 31-0 (Banton 28, Duckett 3) Banton continues to go after Madushanka, slapping a short ball for four and timing another boundary through extra cover off the back foot. #TopBants
The scorecard looks lopsided but Banton has monopolised the strike: Duckett has faced only eight of the 36 deliveries.
5th over: England 23-0 (Banton 20, Duckett 3) Banton takes a pair of twos and a single from Asitha Fernando’s third over. He’s off to another good start, 20 from 22 balls, and will be keen to cash in after throwing away a potential century on Tuesday.
The latest from Gqerberha (spoiler: rain)
Related: South Africa v Australia: second men’s cricket Test, day five – live
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4th over: England 18-0 (Banton 15, Duckett 3) Banton jumpstarts the England innings with three successive boundaries: an edge wide of slip, a classy off-drive and an even better back-foot punch through extra cover. Good lad.
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3rd over: England 5-0 (Banton 2, Duckett 3) Duckett survives a run-out chance after taking a quick single on the off side. He was just short of his ground when Arachchige’s throw bounced past the stumps at the bowler’s end.
Another quiet over, with only one big stroke from Banton that didn’t beat the cover fielder. Sri Lanka have bowled an excellent length and England look like they want to get the measure of the pitch before they unsheath the long handle.
2nd over: England 3-0 (Banton 1, Duckett 2) The left-armer Dilshan Madushanka continues Sri Lanka’s good start, conceding three singles. England’s openers have started cautiously and are doing their own pitch inspection.
1st over: England 0-0 (Banton 0, Duckett 0) The stocky Asitha Fernando starts with a maiden to Tom Banton. No real swing, but no looseners either and Banton was unable to pierce the infield.
Tom Banton and Ben Duckett walk out to the middle. Banton made a blistering maiden hundred against Sri Lanka at the Oval last month.
This week’s Spin is a lovely read
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Bradman b Hollies 0
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Team news: Rashid dropped
England make two changes from the defeat to Pakistan. Josh Tongue and Liam Dawson replaces Sonny Baker and… Adil Rashid, who of late has been nowhere near his magical best.
Sri Lanka bring in the left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage for the leggie Sachindu Colombage. Their team also includes the opener Avishka Fernando, who looked a star of the future when Sri Lanka stunned England at Headingley in the 2019 World Cup.
Fernando, aged 21, made an audacious 39-ball 49 in that game. He’s had a stop-start career but I’m looking forward to seeing him again.
England Banton, Duckett, Root, Brook (c), Cox (wk), Curran, Jacks, Overton, Dawson, Atkinson, Tongue.
Sri Lanka Kamindu Mendis, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis (c/wk), Rathnayake, Arachchige, Liyanage, Shanaka, Wellalage, Malinga, Asitha Fernando, Madushanka.
Sri Lanka win the toss and bowl
That might not be a bad thing for England, who are better at setting targets than chasing them.
At the risk of misquoting Black Grape, it’s a big day in Gqeberha, where Australia have a helluva job on to save the second Test against South Africa. Geoff Lemon is on OBO duty.
Related: South Africa v Australia: second men’s cricket Test, day five – live
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Preamble
There was a little girl,
Who had a little curl,
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good,
She was very, very good,
But when she was bad she was horrid.
The little girl with the little curl, the subject of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s famous poem, has plenty in common with this England team. They’re a one-day side with two faces, and we saw both during Tuesday’s defeat against Pakistan.
England seemed to be cruising to victory, only to flunk a 300+ chase for the second time in three games. There’s no need to get carried away – that’s what social media is for – but negative patterns are never a good thing for a cricket team, especially when they involve batting collapses. After a largely positive 2026, the tame manner of Tuesday’s defeat was a setback.
It means today’s match against Sri Lanka is, if not a must-win, then at least a need-to-win. The losers will be bottom of the tri-series at the halfway stage, with nul points and a lot of work to do. May the best team not lose.
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