Sri Lanka stun England in Rawalpindi run-fest

Sri Lanka stunned England in a high-scoring match in Rawalpindi, while South Africa beat Australia again, this time in a one-sided Test in Gqeberha. Chasing a target of 430, Sri Lanka looked to have little chance at the halfway stage. The only successful ODI chase to have exceeded that figure was South Africa’s 438 against Australia in Johannesburg in 2006.

England had a remarkable innings from Harry Brook: 202 runs from 116 balls, reaching 200 off 114 deliveries. Sky Sports noted that this was the fastest double century in ODI cricket. But Brook’s individual brilliance could not save England from defeat.

England’s bowling came under heavy pressure. Sam Curran, playing only his second game since The Hundred in August after a groin injury, conceded 103 runs from nine overs. Sri Lanka, by contrast, produced an outstanding performance. Nasser Hussain said England had overcorrected after bowling too full in their defeat to Pakistan, switching to deliveries that were too short. England had lost by 87 runs at the same venue on Tuesday, and Pavan Rathnayake took particular advantage of the change: Sri Lanka’s top scorer made 130 from 106 balls.

Hussain also highlighted England’s difficulty taking wickets in the middle period, saying the issue had persisted for two or three years. Kumar Sangakkara felt England should have pushed harder for wickets when Sri Lanka were 24-2. He also outlined possible approaches: set fields for catches, use short-pitched bowling or, if conditions do not favour wickets, turn to death bowling earlier.

Earlier in the week, Brook had spoken about wanting a “match-winning” column in players’ statistics. After his double century, he summed up the frustration: “I always say I want to make match-winning contributions, have a match-winning impact. Unfortunately I’ve got 200 and it’s not been match-winning. In my eyes, it doesn’t matter. It had no value whatsoever.”

England’s next tri-series match is against Pakistan in Lahore. Coverage of England's upcoming tri-series fixture against Pakistan in Lahore begins on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event at 7.30am Sunday; play starts at 8am.