England are out of the tri-series in Pakistan after Sri Lanka thrashed Pakistan by eight wickets in Lahore on Tuesday, ending Harry Brook’s side’s hopes of reaching Saturday’s final. England had needed Pakistan to beat Sri Lanka to keep their own route alive, but instead their final group game on Thursday will now be a dead rubber.
England cricket team (Credits: BBC Sport)
The result capped a miserable tournament for England, who lost all three of their matches. Their only remaining path to the final was to beat Sri Lanka on Thursday and hope Pakistan had done them a favour in Lahore. That hope disappeared quickly as Pakistan collapsed to 110 all out in 25.2 overs, with Babar Azam top-scoring on just 29.
Sri Lanka Beat Pakistan by 8 Wickets to End England Tri-Series Hopes
Dilshan Madushanka did the damage with the ball, taking 5-34 as Pakistan lost wickets at regular intervals and never recovered. Sri Lanka then raced to their target in just 18.1 overs, with opener Kamindu Mendis finishing unbeaten on 62 from 60 balls to seal a rapid, one-sided win.
The exit is a setback for a side that had built encouraging one-day momentum this year. After a dismal World Cup defence in 2023 and a winless Champions Trophy campaign last year, England had won away in Sri Lanka and beaten India and Sri Lanka at home in 2026. In Pakistan, though, that progress unravelled in dramatic fashion.
England’s Tri-Series Collapse in Pakistan
England failed to chase 303 despite being well placed at 120-1, then suffered two extraordinary defeats: they could not defend 430 as Sri Lanka completed the second-highest chase in ODI history, and three days later a last-wicket stand of 89 snatched an incredible win for Pakistan. Those results left Brook’s team with no margin for error before Tuesday’s game even began.
Attention now turns to what comes next. After Thursday’s dead rubber, England travel to Australia for three ODIs and five T20s starting on 13 November, with a warm-up against a Western Australia XI in Perth on 7 November. Conditions in southern Africa at next year’s World Cup will be different from those in Pakistan, but England will know that a tournament exit like this, built on three straight defeats, needs a swift response.
For Sri Lanka, Tuesday’s win sets up Saturday’s final in confident mood, with Madushanka in form and Mendis anchoring the chase. For England, the trip to Australia cannot come soon enough.
Also Read: Harry Brook Underlines Status as World’s Best All-Format Batter With Fastest Ever ODI Double Century in Remarkable Defeat | Abhishek Sharma Hits 35-Ball Ton as India Hammer New Zealand
Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.
