Sri Lanka produced one of the greatest run chases in one-day international history on Thursday, hunting down a mammoth 430 to beat England by two wickets in the third match of the Pakistan-hosted ODI tri-series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. It is the second-highest successful chase ever recorded in the 50-over format and Sri Lanka’s highest in ODI cricket.
Chasing an almost unthinkable target of 430, Sri Lanka finished on 430 for 8 with a ball to spare, sealed by a towering six from Janith Liyanage off the penultimate delivery of the match. Only South Africa’s famous 438 against Australia at Johannesburg in 2006 sits above this chase in the all-time list.
Harry Brook’s Record 202 Sets Up a Mountain
It had all seemed so different at the halfway stage. Put in to bat by Sri Lanka, England piled up 429 for 4 — the highest ODI total ever posted on Pakistani soil, passing Pakistan’s 375 for 3 against Zimbabwe in Lahore in 2015.
The innings belonged to England captain Harry Brook, who played a knock for the ages. His 202 off just 116 balls — studded with 21 fours and 10 sixes — was the fastest double century in ODI history, reaching the landmark in 114 balls to go past Shubman Gill’s previous mark. It was the first double hundred by an England batter in one-day cricket, and it made Brook only the second man in the game, after Chris Gayle, to hold a Test triple century, an ODI double century and a T20I hundred at the same time.
Joe Root played the anchor’s role with 69 off 66 balls, a knock that carried him past 8,000 ODI runs — the first England player to reach that mark. Will Jacks then provided the late fireworks with an unbeaten 66 off 30 balls as England smashed 185 runs off their last 13 overs. Brook eventually fell off the very last ball of the innings, caught off Liyanage. Dunith Wellalage, with 2 for 56, was the only Sri Lanka bowler to concede at under six an over.
Pavan Rathnayake Leads the Miracle Chase
Set 430 to win, Sri Lanka made the worst possible start, sliding to 24 for 2 inside five overs. Openers Kamindu Mendis and captain Kusal Mendis were gone cheaply, and the contest looked dead.
Pavan Rathnayake had other ideas. The young right-hander played the innings of his life, scoring 130 off 106 balls with 15 fours and three sixes. He first rebuilt the innings with Avishka Fernando, the pair adding 166 for the third wicket, before joining forces with Dasun Shanaka for a blistering 133-run stand off just 79 balls that dragged Sri Lanka right back into contention.
Fernando fell for 97 off 83 deliveries, caught and bowled three short of a hundred. Shanaka’s assault — 97 off 50 balls with eight sixes — kept Sri Lanka ahead of the asking rate deep into the evening. When Rathnayake departed in the 41st over, the job was only half done.
Janith Liyanage Holds His Nerve in the Final Over
The finish was pure theatre. Needing eight to win off the final over, Sri Lanka lost two wickets to paceman Josh Tongue, and England sensed a miraculous escape. But Liyanage refused to buckle. He stayed to the end, finishing unbeaten on 61 off 27 balls, and launched Tongue over long-off for six off the penultimate delivery to complete the chase with a ball to spare.
Sri Lankan captain Kusal Mendis was beaming afterwards. “Everyone believed we can do it,” he said. “Every day we talk about showing the character in team meetings, and it’s about showing we can get any score.”
Brook, who had produced the biggest innings in England’s ODI history, was gracious in defeat. “Incredible game of cricket, both teams were exceptional,” he said. “They played exceptional cricket to knock off 400.”
What It Means for the Tri-Series
The result blows the tri-series wide open. Sri Lanka take their first two points of the tournament, while England remain winless. Pakistan still top the table with four points after two wins from two, but Sunday’s Pakistan vs England clash in Lahore is now close to a must-win for the visitors. The final is scheduled for 31 October in Lahore.
Pakistan supporters have extra reason to circle Sunday’s game in their calendars: the team will wear pink jerseys instead of their traditional green against England as the board observes Breast Cancer Awareness Day, with the stumps also taking on a pink look and the visitors, commentators and match officials invited to wear pink ribbons.
Thursday night’s 859-run shootout will be replayed for years. And if this is the standard of the cricket on show, the remainder of the tri-series is not to be missed.
Sources: official match scorecard and post-match statements reported by national and international sports media.
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