<\/p>\n
For all their faults and frailties, their fluffs and fumbles, England are also the first team to secure a place in the World Cup semi-finals, their spot secured by victory over Pakistan and by the sensational Harry Brook century that drove them towards it.<\/p>\n
After coming in just one ball into the innings and watching the rest of England\u2019s top five falter, England\u2019s captain transformed a crisis into what, for all that a couple of late wickets got the nerves jangling, became something approaching a cruise.<\/p>\n
Brook fell to the last ball of the 17th over, the first after he had completed his century off his 50th delivery. Several Pakistan players ran towards him to shake his hand as he left the field, and soon they were shaking hands again: having come to the crease, promoted for the first time to No 3, before England had even taken a nibble into their target of 165, Brook departed with them needing 10 off 18. Though Will Jacks and Jamie Overton both fell in the penultimate over to give Pakistan the faintest sniff of renewed hope, England got there with five remaining to win by two wickets.<\/p>\n Before returning to claim Brook as his fourth victim with his final ball of the game, Shaheen Shah Afridi \u2013 considered by many a fading force at the age of 25, dropped after conceding 31 in two overs against India, and reclaiming a place in the side only because Faheem Ashraf was not fit enough to keep his own \u2013 had ripped through the rest of England\u2019s top order in the powerplay.<\/p>\n Again their openers misfired, both Phil Salt and Jos Buttler edging into the gloves of Usman Khan having made a combined contribution of three runs. Salt swung at the first ball of the innings and caught it with his outside edge, Buttler lasted into the third over before feathering it behind. Buttler is in truly dreadful form, averaging 10.33 in six innings at this tournament. \u201cHe\u2019s a powerhouse of world cricket, he\u2019s done it on every stage, won World Cups, ODIs and T20s,\u201d Brook said. \u201cPeople have got to cut him a little bit of slack. He\u2019s arguably our best player, he\u2019s just not hitting them out of the middle at the minute.\u201d<\/p>\n