Harry Brook says England’s pursuit of a perfect performance at the T20 World Cup creates an exciting prospect.
With a 51-point win over co-hosts Sri Lanka on Sunday, England booked their place in the semi-finals after the match was canceled due to rain, and are top of their group with one point each over Pakistan and New Zealand.
Beating either Pakistan in Palekele on Tuesday or New Zealand in Colombo on Friday – both broadcast on Sky Sports Cricket – would move England forward as their search for the perfect performance in the tournament continues.
England captain Brook said: “We haven’t played a perfect game yet.” “With the bat, we haven’t been able to get the starts and big scores that we wanted. But I think it’s a very exciting prospect.”
“I see that happening soon, but it’s great that players like Jos Buttler didn’t leave and with Jacob Bethel, myself and Tom Bunton not scoring big, we’re still able to get over the line and get the job done.”
“I hope those rewards come a little later.”
England were once again dominated by the bats against Sri Lanka, with Will Jacks one of just two England players to score over 20, scoring a sub-par 146 for nine thanks to Phil Salt’s 62 off 40 balls.
Jacks, who hit 21 off 14 deliveries, bowled for the third time in his England career, the first since he was selected for the club in the 22nd over against Australia in the 2024 Caribbean Tournament.
However, he bowled four overs and took 3-22 before England bowled their opponents out for 95 as Sri Lanka tottered to 34-5 on a sticky pitch.
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Highlights of England vs Sri Lanka’s 51-run victory in the T20 World Cup Super 8s at Palekele
Jacks has been England’s standout in this competition, with his lower-order contributions against Nepal and Italy proving useful, and Brook is pleased with the all-rounder’s performances.
“He’s a very competitive player,” Brook said. “When he got out, he was frustrated. After the first over, he said, ‘When you’re frustrated, you usually bowl better.’ That was one of the reasons I kept him.
“He’s just the complete player. He’s a jack-of-all-trades. He’s great on the field, he’s great with the bat, and as we saw here, he’s very good with the ball. He got us off to a great start.”
Brook, who was India’s first team to get through the group stage, was hoping his team could make a fresh start following their recent 3-0 win over Sri Lanka in the T20 warm-up series at this venue.
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Manager Michael Atherton says Jos Buttler must improve quickly in England’s crucial opening partnership
But their 12th straight T20 victory over the tournament’s co-hosts was also fueled by Salt supporting England after yet another top-order woes, with Buttler hitting 7 off 14 balls for three successive single-digit scores.
“Those 60 points gave us the win, really,” Brook said of Salt. “He wasn’t that destructive or fluent, but he played the situation there perfectly.
“We knew we were slightly below average, but the bowling was phenomenal. We played three matches here against Sri Lanka and have gained a lot of experience, and the main message was belief.”
“The other message was, go out and fight, and we fought.”
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Jofra Archer says England are on target and each game is better than the last after Super 8s win over Sri Lanka
Jofra Archer, who sacked Pathum Nissanka in the wake of Sri Lanka’s collapse, echoed his captain’s sentiments about Salt’s influence and England’s development through the tournament.
“Each game is better than the last and we can definitely get there. It’s not a sprint,” he said.
“I’m impressed with all the hitters. That’s not a role that Phil usually plays. If it was the old Phil Salt, he probably would have been out at 30. I’m very proud of him.”
“Other players didn’t get the points we needed, but we talked about what we wanted to get out of. We were a little hesitant in India. It didn’t go well today, but at least the players are trying.”
England T20 World Cup Super 8 results and fixtures
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