Sri Lanka stun England in thriller

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Sri Lanka pulled off a remarkable run chase against England in the Pakistan-hosted one-day international tri-series on Thursday, reaching 430-8 in 49.5 overs after Harry Brook’s record-breaking double century had powered England to 429-4 in Rawalpindi.
Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis’s decision to field first appeared to have backfired when Brook smashed 202 off 116 balls, becoming the first England batter to score an ODI double century and recording the fastest double hundred in the format.
However, Sri Lanka produced a stunning batting display of their own, with Pavan Rathnayake scoring 130 and Avishka Fernando making 97 before Dasun Shanaka’s explosive 97 and Janith Liyanage’s unbeaten 61 sealed the chase.
The highest successful run chase in ODI cricket history belongs to South Africa, who chased down a target of 435 against Australia in Johannesburg in 2006.
Rathnayake struck 15 fours and three sixes in his 106-ball innings, while Fernando hit 11 boundaries and two sixes from 83 deliveries in a 190-run third-wicket partnership that revived Sri Lanka after an early collapse.
Sri Lanka had lost Kamindu Mendis for 18 and captain Kusal for a duck in the opening five overs, leaving them at 24-2.
Fernando and Rathnayake then took control, punishing England’s bowlers to bring Sri Lanka back into contention. Jamie Overton eventually dismissed Fernando, caught and bowled, for 97 in the 28th over.
Rathnayake continued to dominate before Sam Curran removed him for 130 in the 41st over, leaving Sri Lanka at 323-4 and needing 107 from the final 10 overs.
Shanaka then launched a ferocious counterattack, smashing eight sixes and six fours in a 50-ball 97. He added 40 runs with Rathnayake before his dismissal and kept Sri Lanka within reach of the target.
Liyanage took over in the closing stages, hammering an unbeaten 61 off just 27 balls, including seven fours and three sixes, as Sri Lanka crossed the finish line with one ball remaining.
Curran conceded 103 runs in nine overs, taking two wickets, while Josh Tongue claimed three for 79.
Earlier, Brook had rewritten the ODI record books with a breathtaking innings at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
The England captain reached his double century in 114 balls, surpassing India’s Shubman Gill, who had taken 117 deliveries against West Indies, to set a new record for the fastest ODI double hundred.
Brook struck 21 fours and 10 sixes, while Joe Root contributed 69 off 66 balls in a 159-run third-wicket stand. Root also became the first England batter to reach 8,000 ODI runs.
Brook and Will Jacks then added 185 runs in a devastating late partnership, with Jacks finishing unbeaten on 66 from 33 balls.
England scored 156 runs in their final 10 overs to post their highest ODI total in Pakistan, eclipsing the previous record of 375-3 set by Pakistan against Zimbabwe in Lahore in 2015.