Pakistan beats England by one wicket to secure tri-series final

Pakistan secured their place in the ODI Tri-Series final with a dramatic one-wicket victory over England at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on October 25. England batted first and posted 241 all out in 46.4 overs, built on Ben Duckett's fighting 105 off 111 balls. Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi took 4-46, dismantling England's top order with three wickets in the first five overs, while Sam Curran (42) provided the only meaningful support to Duckett.

Pakistan's chase proved equally dramatic. The hosts lost their first eight wickets for just 131 runs as England's bowlers, led by Jamie Overton and Henry Crocombe, fought back hard. However, Shadab Khan's unbeaten century sparked an unlikely recovery. In a remarkable 10th-wicket partnership, Shadab and Haris Rauf added 89 unbroken runs to guide Pakistan to 242 and secure an improbable one-wicket win.

The victory gives Pakistan a perfect record of three consecutive wins and six points at the top of the standings. Sri Lanka remain in contention for the final, currently second with two points from two matches. England have lost all three of their group-stage matches. Sri Lanka need just one win from their remaining two matches (against Pakistan on October 27 and England on October 29) to reach the final on October 31. Even if Sri Lanka lose both games, they could still qualify through net run rate, which currently stands at -0.348 compared to England's -0.733.