Harry Brook Becomes First England Batter to Score an ODI Double Century
Harry Brook has become the first England batter to score a double century in a men's one-day international. He made 202 against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi on 22 October, in the third match of the Pakistan one-day tri-series, a three-team tournament hosted by Pakistan. BBC Sport
Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to field. England then batted their full 50 overs, which means 300 balls, and finished on 429 for 4. That is the highest one-day total by any side in Pakistan. Joe Root made 69, and Will Jacks was not out on 66.
Brook's innings was quick from the start. He reached 200 from 114 balls, the fastest double century in men's ODI cricket. The previous quickest was 117 balls, set by India's Shubman Gill against West Indies. Brook's hundred came off 75 balls, and he went from 100 to 200 in just 39 more.
Across 116 balls he hit 10 sixes and 21 fours. A double century means one batter scoring 200 or more in a single innings, and Brook is the 14th man to do it in men's one-day internationals.
The old England record was 182, scored by Ben Stokes against New Zealand at The Oval in 2023. Brook's 202 also stands as the highest one-day score by a batter who did not open the innings, which means he came in after the first two batters had started the chase, or in this case the innings, at the top of the order.
Brook has been a regular fixture in England's one-day side for some time. Back in September, he scored 77 off 66 balls in England's 355 for 7 against Sri Lanka, and England went on to win that series by 223 runs, according to Reuters. Rawalpindi was a different setting and a far bigger score.
For casual fans, the headline is simple. One player batted for an innings most people would call a marathon, and he did it at a pace few batters have matched in the 50-over format. The England total is the second number to remember, because it is the reason Brook's innings had so much room to grow.
