93 fours, 552 boundary runs! All major records as Sri Lanka begin historic ODI chase against England

ByTech Word News

Sri Lanka’s Janith Liyanage, second from right, and Asitha Fernando, third from left, celebrate with their teammates. (AP photo) Sri Lanka produced one of the biggest chases in one-day international history as they overhauled England’s 429/4 with a remarkable 430/8 to record an extraordinary two-wicket win in Rawalpindi on Thursday. The 430-run chase was the second highest run chase in ODI cricket, after South Africa’s famous chase of 435 against Australia in Johannesburg in 2006.The extraordinary contest produced records at both ends, with England captain Harry Brook smashing a historic 202 before Sri Lanka responded with a batting of their own. The match total of 859 runs was the second highest in ODI history, behind 872 runs in Johannesburg between Australia and South Africa in 2006.Sri Lanka’s win also marked only the third successful 400-plus chase in ODI cricket, after South Africa’s triumph in 2006 and India’s pursuit of 406 against West Indies in Guwahati last month.Most successful chases in ODIs

  • 435 – SA v Aus Joburg 2006
  • 430 – SL vs. Eng Rawalpindi 2026
  • 406 – Indian vs WI Guwahati 2026
  • 375 – Net vs WI Harare 2023 (Win Super Over)
  • 372 – SA vs Aus Durban 2016

93 fours, 552 boundary runs to rewrite the ODI record books

The Rawalpindi run fest set a new benchmark for boundaries in ODIs with both sides smashing a combined 93 fours and 30 sixes. The 93 fours beat the previous record of 87 set during the Australia-South Africa match in Johannesburg in 2006.The teams amassed 552 runs from boundaries, comprising 93 fours and 30 sixes, beating the previous record of 532 boundary runs – 64 fours and 46 sixes – in the West Indies-England ODI at St George’s in 2019.England hit 48 fours, equaling the joint second-highest by any team in ODIs, while Sri Lanka contributed 45. The match aggregate of 859 also became the highest in List A play in Asia, surpassing the previous mark of 825.Sri Lanka’s 430/8 was their second highest ODI total, behind the 443/9 they scored against the Netherlands in Amstelveen in 2006.Summary of Highest Matches in ODIs

  • 872 – Aus (434) vs SA (438) Joburg 2006
  • 859 – Eng (429) vs. SL (430) Rawalpindi 2026
  • 825 – Indian (414) vs SL (411) Rajkot 2009
  • 811 – WI (405) vs. Indian (406) Guwahati 2026
  • 807 – Eng (419) vs WI (389) St George’s 2019

Brook’s historic double century ends in defeat

Brook became the first English batsman to score a double century in ODIs, reaching the milestone in 114 balls before finishing with 202 off 116 deliveries. His innings was the highest individual score in an ODI defeat, surpassing Charles Coventry’s unbeaten 194 for Zimbabwe against Bangladesh in 2009.Brook’s knock took England to 429/4, with Joe Root scoring 69, Tom Banton 50 and Will Jacks remaining unbeaten on 66. Brook’s 202 also made him the first batsman to score a double century in ODIs and finish on the losing side.“It was a nice innings, but there’s no value in being on the losing side in my eyes,” Brook said after the loss.Highest score in a loss in ODIs

  • 202 – Harry Brook vs Eng Rawalpindi 2026
  • 194* – Charles Coventry vs Ban Bulawayo 2009
  • 193 – Fakhar Zaman vs SA Joburg 2021
  • 191 – George Munsey vs Net Dundee 2025
  • 181* – Matthew Hayden v NZ Hamilton 2007

Sri Lanka’s late attack sealed a memorable win

Sri Lanka’s chase was built around Avishka Fernando’s 97-ball 130 and Pavan Rathnayake’s 106-ball 130. Their 166-run partnership for the third wicket revived the innings after Sri Lanka lost the first two wickets. Rathnayake then added 133 runs with Dasun Shanaka smashing 97 off 50 balls.Dunith Liyanage’s unbeaten 61 off just 27 deliveries kept Sri Lanka in the contest after Shanak’s dismissal. Sri Lanka scored 170 runs in the last 15 overs, the highest total recorded in the last 15 ODI overs with ball-by-ball data available, surpassing West Indies’ 146 against England in North Sound in 2023.Needing six runs from the last two balls, Janith Liyanage finished the contest in spectacular fashion by dismissing Josh Tongue over long-on for a six. The result handed England their second defeat in the Pakistan tri-series and gave Sri Lanka a memorable victory.