England qualified for the T20 World Cup semi‑finals with a game to spare after Harry Brook's masterful century inspired a two‑wicket Super 8 victory over Pakistan in Pallekele.
Brook's 100 off 51 balls - the highest score by an England captain at a men's T20 World Cup - dragged his team out of trouble after four of the top five had departed for single figures.
England encountered early problems in their chase of 165, with Phil Salt out for a golden duck off Shaheen Shah Afridi, who extended Jos Buttler's struggles with the bat and ensured Jacob Bethell (8) added just two runs after being dropped.
Brook, arriving at the crease with England 17‑2, paved the way to victory, smashing 10 fours and four sixes as he vindicated the decision to promote him up to number three in the batting order.
Liam Dawson had starred with the ball, taking 3‑24, as England restricted Pakistan to 164‑9 from their 20 overs after they won the toss and chose to bat, and it proved a sub-par total, with England winning by two wickets with five balls to spare.
The win means England head to Colombo for Friday's final Super 8 match against New Zealand - live on Your Site - already assured of a place in the semi‑finals for a record fifth successive time.
For Pakistan, they must beat co‑hosts Sri Lanka on Saturday and hope other results go their way to have any chance of joining England in the last four.
England's chase got off to the worst possible start when Salt nicked the first ball off the dangerous Shaheen Afridi, with the out‑of‑form Jos Buttler following in identical fashion in the paceman's next over for his fourth successive single‑figure score.
Bethell also fell cheaply as Afridi struck for a third time, but Brook counter‑attacked immediately, clipping Salman Mirza for four before launching him straight for six.
Left‑arm spin, which had dismissed Brook three times in the tournament, offered Pakistan hope, but the Yorkshireman took 17 off Mohammad Nawaz to end that threat. By the end of the powerplay, Brook had 41 of England's 53 runs.
Usman Tariq, who had earlier dropped Bethell, removed Tom Banton first ball before Sam Curran miscued the mystery spinner to Nawaz in the deep after a 45‑run stand with Brook.
At 103‑5, Brook consolidated with Will Jacks before exploding in Afridi's final over, striking six and four to reach his century and join Buttler and Dawid Malan as the only England men to score hundreds in all three formats.
Afridi finished with 4‑30, removing Brook with a slower‑ball yorker and later Jacks, while Nawaz dismissed Overton in the penultimate over. But Jofra Archer sealed victory by creaming Mirza through midwicket.
Pakistan had earlier been reduced to 27‑2 after choosing to bat. Saim Ayub top‑edged Archer to Bethell, before captain Salman Agha picked out Jamie Overton as Liam Dawson struck in his first over.
Babar Azam and Sahibzada Farhan added 46 before Overton bowled Babar, and England's attack continued to stifle momentum.
Farhan's 63 ended when Overton trapped him lbw, while Zaman, Usman Khan and Nawaz all fell attempting late acceleration.
Shadab Khan was run out off the final ball as Pakistan posted a below‑par 164‑9, a target England eventually chased down with five balls to spare.
Player of the match Harry Brook (100 off 51 balls):
"My promotion to No 3 came from Baz [head coach Brendon McCullum]. He came to me this morning.
"We have spoken about adapting and having the bravery to do that today was awesome.
"It may not have come off but thankfully it did. Baz said Pakistan is my team and I said, 'let's do it'.
"The idea was to maximise the powerplay as everyone knows I like to take the game on, and I was going to do that from ball one.
"I have been thinking about batting higher for a while. It's what I want to do for England and in franchise cricket.
"I am very happy with how we played there. We have one more Super 8s game against New Zealand but then the bigger prize ahead."
England's Will Jacks on Harry Brook's century:
"That was a special knock. He had the extra responsibility at No 3 and got a hundred straight away. Shaheen was swinging the ball up top and we know the quality of their spinners but he made it look very easy.
"He is our best batter and should face as many balls as possible. He faced 20 balls in the powerplay and was in the flow when spin came on.
"He has led from the front. He targeted the sight screen and then waited for them to drop short. He hasn't just slogged. He scored at a strike rate of 200 but it didn't feel like he chased the game. That's the skill."
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