Daniel Norcross

that they've not shown consistency, that they've not had any standout players, that they've limped over the line against Nepal.

Well, it doesn't really matter when anybody says they are in the semifinals and they've got there quicker than anybody else.

And they got there in spectacular fashion today, thanks to an innings, one of the all-time great innings.

from their captain Harry Brooke he said he wanted his team to be fearless and my goodness me he was fearless all right he hit around 151 balls when he was out the score was 155 for six he came in when the score was naught for one off one ball and his innings has been without doubt the difference between England and Pakistan today

Alex, where do we begin?

I mean, this game has twisted and turned so many times today, with Pakistan looking like they were going to set 180 at one point, and other points looking like they might only set 150, ending up setting 165.

England being all over the place at the start, losing wickets early.

They were 35 for three, 58 for four.

Pakistan felt well on top, and then they just ran into Harry Brook, who was...

Quite simply staggering.

we're going to hear quite a lot from him, I imagine, because he's going to be the man of the match and he's going to be the captain who's going to want a fair bit to say about, well, he'll be a very happy captain as well, but a fair bit to say about how England have made it through to the semi-finals so quickly.

But let's go back to the beginning.

Pakistan won the toss.

They elected to bat.

I wouldn't say it raised eyebrows, but chasing sides have prospered here at Pallikelly and England have played a lot of T20 cricket here.

I think it's five out of six, something like that, the last six.

And, uh,

It was just, I think, that Pakistan wanted to do their batting bit first because the bowling bit is the bit that they're more comfortable with.

And they think at the pointy end of the game, they can use their phalanx of spinners and that can put pressure on.

But when they came out to bat, they lost a couple of early wickets.