Sri Lanka completed the second-highest successful run chase in men's one-day international history at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday, overhauling England's 429 for 4 to win the third match of the Pakistan ODI Tri-Series by two wickets with a ball to spare. Janith Liyanage hit the winning six off Josh Tongue with the fifth delivery of the final over, capping a chase that outshone even Harry Brook's record-breaking double century in the first innings.

Pavan Rathnayake's 130 off 106 balls anchored the pursuit, and Sri Lanka's 430 for 8 became their highest total in the format — achieved against an England side that had posted the fastest ODI double century and their own record total earlier in the day.

Sri Lanka vs England 3rd ODI 2026 — Match Result

Sri Lanka reached 430 for 8 in 49.5 overs in reply to England's 429 for 4, winning by two wickets with one ball remaining on 22 October. The match aggregate of 859 runs was the second-highest in ODI history, behind only the 872 accumulated when South Africa and Australia traded 400-plus totals at the Wanderers in 2006. The win was Sri Lanka's first of the series; England, beaten by Pakistan in their opener, remain pointless.

Harry Brook's 202 Powers England to 429/4

England's innings was built around Brook's 202 off 116 balls — the fastest double century in ODI history, reached in 114 deliveries. Joe Root made 69, Will Jacks smashed 66 from 30 and Tom Banton contributed 50 as England recorded the highest total of their ODI history. Cric Hub covered Harry Brook's fastest ODI double century in a separate report; remarkably, it ended as the highest individual score in a losing cause the format has seen.

Sri Lanka Respond to a Target of 430

Chasing 430 demanded attack from the outset, and Sri Lanka did not retreat. Avishka Fernando set the tone at the top of the order, and though Sam Curran's two wickets — including Arachchige — checked their progress at key moments, the required rate never strangled the innings. Sri Lanka kept losing batters at regular intervals and kept scoring quickly enough that the equation never fully escaped them.

Pavan Rathnayake's 130 Drives the Historic Chase

The innings of the match belonged to Pavan Rathnayake. His 130 came from 106 deliveries with 15 fours and three sixes — an innings of sustained authority rather than a single burst, holding the chase together while partners came and went. He was named Player of the Match, an award confirmed on the official match presentation. Without his century at the core of the innings, the record chase would have remained a theoretical target.

Avishka Fernando and Dasun Shanaka Keep Sri Lanka Alive

Two Sri Lanka batters fell agonisingly short of centuries, but their contributions were the difference between a famous defeat and a famous win. Fernando made 97 from 83 balls with 11 fours, providing the launchpad from which the middle order could operate. Dasun Shanaka then produced the most violent passage of the chase — 97 from just 50 deliveries with eight sixes — swinging the momentum decisively and turning an improbable chase into an achievable one.

Janith Liyanage Seals Victory in Dramatic Final Over

With the finish in sight, Tongue's double strike in the final over briefly threatened to turn the match England's way. Janith Liyanage held his nerve. Unbeaten on 61 from 28 balls, with seven fours and three sixes, he took Sri Lanka to the brink and then over it — thumping Tongue over long-off for six with the fifth ball of the 50th over to complete the chase with a delivery to spare. Asitha Fernando, unbeaten on 1, was at the other end as the Sri Lanka players charged onto the field.

Sri Lanka Complete Second-Highest ODI Run Chase

Sri Lanka's 430 is the second-highest successful run chase in men's ODI history, bettered only by South Africa's famous 435 against Australia in Johannesburg in 2006. It was Sri Lanka's highest total and highest successful chase in the format, and the match's 859 runs rank second all-time. For England, there was a bitter footnote: Brook's 202, the fastest double century the format had seen, became the highest score by any batter on the losing side of an ODI.

Player of the Match — Pavan Rathnayake

Rathnayake's 130 from 106 balls earned the official Player of the Match award. In a chase of 430, his was the innings that made the impossible achievable — the foundation on which Fernando, Shanaka and Liyanage built the finish.

Sri Lanka vs England 3rd ODI Full Scorecard

The complete innings-by-innings record of the match — every dismissal, bowling figure and partnership — is in the Sri Lanka vs England 3rd ODI full scorecard. England next face Pakistan in Lahore as the tri-series moves to its final leg.