England beat Pakistan by two wickets with five balls to spare and qualify for the semi-finals of the 2026 T20 World Cup
The pull goes to the fence for four and that completes a fine performance from England, their best of the tournament so far.
Key events
Aha, here’s Simon Burnton’s match report…
…which means we’re done here. Thanks all for your company and comments; peace out.
Brook, giving a second interview, says he was moved up the order because they wanted to make more of the powerplay and he goes after it. He’d been thinking about it for a while, not just for internationals but franchise cricket too, and when Baz said “Pakistan are your team,” he was up for it.
On the fielding, he laughs that before the match, Bethell said there’s not much atmosphere to focus the mind so told the team to keep switched on, then fumbled a coupe – though he says the outfield was bumpy.
He was a bit worried that, after getting out just past his hundred, England would do another Oval – they lost to India in that circumstance – and, though they need to get the top order firing, he doesn’t think there’ll be much in the way of changes.
Salman Agha says his team could’ve done better but sometimes, you just have to accept that your opponent played well, and Harry Brook took the game away, too good for them today.
Otherwise, he’s happy with how Afridi bowled, doing exactly what they wanted from him, and he hopes England can now do New Zealand for them.
Will Jacks is such a good talker. He explains that it’s taken him a while to settle into the team, and though there’s pressure, what’s not to enjoy about being out there with your captain trying to win the game for England? He was in favour of Brook’s move to three, saying he’s the best player, he needs to face the most balls, then on his bowling says sometimes you go for some, you’ve just got to accept it ands move on.
What do Pakistan need to do to make the last four?
If New Zealand beat Sri Lanka, they need England to beat New Zealand, then beat Sri Lanka and hope that theirs is the superior net run-rate.
Alternatively, Sri Lanka beat New Zealand, so do England, and then Pakistan need to beat Sri Lanka to move on.
Promoting yourself up the order and dominating a match with a round century – what a flex from the captain, asserting leadership and vision definitively, for all to see. Those players, who’ll have loved him already, will be seeing him differently tonight.
Harry Brook is player of the match and very happy with how his team performed. He explains that Baz came to him this morning to tell him they might move him up to no 3 – they’ve talked about mixing things up and this showed they have the bottle to do it.
There are, though still areas in which the team can improve, striving for unattainable perfection, and they’ll now focus on the New Zealand match, before the prize of the last four.
Pakistan will have regrets – batting first, perhaps, not looking to hit out sooner, and using three of Usman Tariq’s overs once the match was close to over. They can still qualify for the last four, but need favours.
You’ve got to credit England in various ways – coming to Pallekele early, picking Will Jacks, and moving Harry Brook up to no 3 in the order. They’re the first side into the last four and, though they’re far from perfect, there’s so much firepower in the XI that beating them is not easily done – especially given no side is quite as good as the best we’ve seen in this format.
England beat Pakistan by two wickets with five balls to spare and qualify for the semi-finals of the 2026 T20 World Cup
The pull goes to the fence for four and that completes a fine performance from England, their best of the tournament so far.
20th over: England 162-8 (Dawson 1, Archer 1) Target 165 Pakistan are slow to turn around, so must bring an extra man into the circle, Mirza has the final over, and Archer pulls his first delivery…
19th over: England 162-8 (Dawson 1, Archer 1) Target 165 Archer defends, the bowler dives over it, they run one, and England need three runs from six deliveries.
WICKET! Overton st Usman khan b Nawaz 0 (England 161-8)
Goodness me! Nawaz spins one away from Overton, who charges, and England need from from seven, two wickets remaining. Out of serenity, pressure.
19th over: England 161-7 (Overton 0, Dawson 1) Target 165 Dawson cuts for one, then Overton plays away two dots…
WICKET! Jacks b Nawaz 28 (England 160-7)
They couldn’t, could they? Jacks backs away, misses, and Nawaz hits.
18th over: England 160-6 (Jacks 28, Overton 0) Target 165 Ten required when Mirza returns, a wide and a two opening the over, then another wide; England are one hit away, and I’d not be surprised to see Jacks try and win it that way. He makes room for the swat, too, but can only hit to cover, two more dots follow, then another, and a dot completes the over. England need five runs from 12 deliveries.
WICKET! Brook b Afridi 100 (England 155-6)
Yorker, slower ball as well I think, cramping Brook, who misses his shove and is bowled. But he’s settled this contest with a real I’M IT contribution.
Harry Brook completes his century with a six then a four
17th over: England 155-5 (Brook 100, Jacks 25) Target 165 Afridi returns to complete his spell and England tax another two, then Jacks edges into the ground and the ball runs away for four; this is player of the tournament gear we’re seeing from him. A single then gets him down the other end, so Brook dances down, making room to smoke over cover for another six! This has been a near-perfect knock from the England skipper, and next ball, he checks a delicate chip over mid-off that races away for four, raising his century at the same time – off 50 deliveries. Honestly, mates, we come across genius like this extremely rarely; Brook is a complete one-off.
16th over: England 138-5 (Brook 90, Jacks 18) Target 165 This next over – Tariq’s last – might be the match. if he goes wicketless, it’s hard to see how England don’t win, and they begin by Brook turning to fine leg for one, turned into two when they dash back on an overthrow. A single follows, but there are no chances being taken here Jacks slams a drag-down flat over square-leg for six! As Nasser says, he’s playing far too well to ignore that, keeping low through the shot, and after he takes a further single, an edge for four takes Brook into the 90s. This match is disappearing quickly now, and England need 27 rus from 24 deliveries.
15th over: England 124-5 (Brook 83, Jacks 11) Target 165 Nawaz returns and Brook takes two to midwicket, then comes down and thinks better of whatever he had planned, banging low to cover. A single follows, then another smartly-sprinted two – England are showing, I think, not just desire to maximise every shot but good local knowledge, having played at Pallekele so much over the last month. A dot comes next, then another two and two ones, meaning seven off the over; for as long as these two stay in, it’s almost impossible for England to lose, but of course they’re only a ball away from dismissal England need 41 runs from 30 balls.
14th over: England 117-5 (Brook 79, Jacks 8) Target 165 Tariq continues and Brook takes two to midwicket, then the bowler shrieks, thinking he’s sneaked one through, but actually it’s been forced to deep square for a single. Another follows, then Brook drives to cover and they sprint through for two; a further one completes the over and, at drinks, England are handily placed … but another wicket or two, and they’re in all sorts. England need 48 runs from 36 deliveries.
13th over: England 104-5 (Brook 73, Jacks 7) Target 165 Mirza back into the attack and Jacks has a look, playing two dots, then steps to leg and you know what’s coming next: he waves his bat and sends six soaring over extra. He plays that shot so well, and I’m not sure why Salman didn’t stick with spin while the match is still bang in the balance, then worry about the death if and when necessary. A single follows, meaning, with seven off it, it’s not a bad over for Pakistan. England need 55 runs from 42 deliveries.
12th over: England 104-5 (Brook 73, Jacks 1) Target 165 Jacks drives to long-off to get going, and these two need only be sensible to bring England home but, under pressure, that’s a lot easier said than done.
WICKET! Curran c Nawaz b Tariq 16 (England 103-5)
Silly behaviour from S-Cuzz, who just needed to see Tariq away. Instead, though, he hoiks to midwicket where Nawaz takes a regulation catch falling forwards.
12th over: England 103-4 (Brook 73, Curran 16) Target 165 Harrance Brook though, what a ludicrous talent – his mix of hands, feet, eye and attitude is an absolute outrage. Now Tariq returns but England can afford milk him and do, taking a two and two ones from hsi first four balls.
11th over: England 99-4 (Brook 72, Curran 13) Target 165 Shadab continues and Curran takes a single, then Brook gets right on top of a sweep, rolling wrists to hammer four through deep square. A single follows, then another, which brings England’s captain back on to strike … and he drives hands through ball, to genius a gargantuan six down the ground, before retreating in the crease to dematerialise a one-bounce four to wide long-on. Seventeen off the over, and Pakistan may regret leaving the majority of Tariq’s overs till so late in the day. England need 66 runs from 54 deliveries.
10th over: England 82-4 (Brook 57, Curran 11) Target 165 Brook takes one from the returning Ayub’s first ball, raising a 28-ball fifty; in comms, Nasser reckons the plan was always for him to move up the order and face as many deliveries as possible; it’s not context-specific. And rightly not – him in the powerplay makes perfect sense. But what’s this? He goes hard at one, it’s in the air, and men converge from midwicket and cow … only for the ball to drop between them as the batters run two. He’ll have swallowed his insides there, but digests them quickly to pull the next ball for four, and two singles complete the over. England need 83 runs from 60 deliveries.
9th over: England 72-4 (Brook 49, Curran 9) Target 165 Shadab continues and his first four balls go for four singles and a wide. A dot follows. and England are getting bogged down a bit here, the problem they have the only one able to hit anything is Brook, but the game-state is such that he daren’t get himself out. So Curran goes at the final delivery of the over, hauling to long-on, where Afridi doesn’t run in seeking to catch, instead allowing the bounce so he can field, only to miss the ball.
“I hope you are correct about Banton’s nickname, says Rob Fowkes-Gajan. “Most England cricketer’s nicknames are crap and only involve adding a ‘y’ to the end. I used to play colts cricket with Matt Windows (later of Gloucestershire and England Lions) whose nickname on the county circuit was ‘Steamy’ – properly creativity, that’s what we need.”
What’s wrong with good, honest, old-fashioned Windowsy, eh? England’s last great side, of course, had Straussy, Cooky, Trotty, Belly, Colly, Swanny and Broady – with Monty on the bench.
8th over: England 63-4 (Brook 47, Curran 3) Target 165 Curran is, for mine, a place too high in the batting order, but England want lots of bowling options so here we are. But he’s off the mark right away, cutting to point, and the next four deliveries also go for one.
“Waft outside off stump, first ball,” begins Chris Harrison. “Cross-batted swipe with no foot movement. Leg-side hoik into the air. Do England really need a separate T20 squad? The Test batters could do that!”
As Janis Joplin said, freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.
WICKET! Banton c Usman Khan b Usman Tariq 2 (England 58-4)
Tariq strikes with the first ball of his spell! He sends down a googly, Banton looks to cut, feathers,, and Khan takes a really good catch. Brook has 45 out of 58 runs, which is to say it looks like him or nothing.
Tariq into the attack; Banton is the only England batter to have faced him before…
7th over: England 58-3 (Brook 45, Banton 2) Target 165 Shadab into the attack and Banton misses with a reverse-sweep, then takes one to long-on, Brook responds with a tap to square-leg, and they dash through for a well-run two. Next ball, he runs down looking to hit out of the continent, the bowlers pulls back his length, and the England captain escapes with an edge just past his stumps for two.
6th over: England 53-3 (Brook 41, Banton 1) Target 165 Nawaz replaces Ayub and, after Banton gets off the mark with a single, Brook turns tow into the on-side, then goes down on one knee to launch over short fine for four. If he stays in, England win; if he goes, they’re in trouble. Meantime, he twinkles down, then crunches over backward point for four more, and there are still two balls to come; the first is checked down the ground, just missing Banton’s swede and the bowler’s hands and the second … is astonished over long-on for six. Seventeen off the over, and England’s captain has decided that it’s time for him to be the hero. But can he avoid the hubris?
5th over: England 36-3 (Brook 20, Banton 0) Target 165 Afridi pins Banton, whose dressing-room nickname is, I hope and pray, Pato, on the pad, but the ball pitched outside the line so the appeal is muted and, when rejected, unreivewed.
WICKET! Bethell c Farhan v Shaheen 8 (England 35-3)
Regular wickets are the key for Pakistan and this is another, Bethell freeing arms but not hitting hard enough, Farhan taking a decent catch running around the fence at deep square.
5th over: England 35-2 (Brook 25, Bethell 8) Target 165 A single to Bethell, then Brook gives himself just a littlebittaroom to assault Afridi through cover for four. He then adds a further single, before Bethell again picks out a fielder with a nicely hit drive…
4th over: England 29-2 (Brook 20, Bethell 7) Target 165 Time for spin with Saim Ayub into the attack and, after a single to each batter, Bethell goes back to wait fir him, hauling from middle-and-off through midwicket for four. in a way, he’s the new Joe Root – l’havdil elef havdalot – accumulating quickly with Proper Cricket Shots. Of course, as I type, he top-edges a slog-sweep, and this is going to be … dropped?! Oh my days, that was an absolute gimme, but at short fine leg, Tariq panics, fumbles and drops. Eeeeesh. They run one then, to rub it in, Brook makes sure to devastate a straight drive for four to make it 11 off the over.