England snatched defeat from the jaws of victory again to leave their tri-series final hopes hanging by a thread as Shadab Khan’s heroics rescued a stunning one-wicket win for Pakistan.

After Sri Lanka chased 430 to win in Rawalpindi, England’s bowlers were on course to bounce back in Lahore when they reduced Pakistan to 154 for nine in pursuit of 242 – but Shadab had other ideas.

With just number 11 Haris Rauf for company, all-rounder Shadab showed the urgency lacking from his top-order colleagues to register a maiden international hundred and get Pakistan home with 17 balls to spare.

Shadab marshalled the strike brilliantly in his 113 not out off 96 deliveries, allowing Haris to face just 19 balls from which he scored an unbeaten seven, and it was England who blinked first.

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England feeling blue

They posted what seemed a below-par total of 241 all out, bolstered by Ben Duckett’s majestic 105 off 111 balls, but after making early inroads into Pakistan’s top order, England’s bowlers put on the collective squeeze with Jamie Overton collecting three for 43.

He had bowled out by the time Shadab and Rauf came together to inspire Pakistan, clad in pink to raise awareness for breast cancer, and leave England feeling blue after a third successive defeat in the tournament, all but ending their bid to reach Saturday’s showpiece at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Shadab initially started watchfully, taking just five singles from his first 16 deliveries, before ending Pakistan’s run of 94 balls without a boundary, but he soon had just Rauf for company.

Shadab went on the attack, bringing up his fifty by belting England debutant Henry Crocombe for the first of five sixes and continuing to chip away at the target, repeatedly stealing singles after the fourth or fifth deliveries of the over to minimise Rauf facing strike.

Scarcely-believable win

It looked to be in vain when he was yorked on 97 by Gus Atkinson and given lbw, prompting Shadab to throw his bat to the ground in disgust, but he was saved by a seemingly forlorn review because of a thin inside edge.

Pakistan fans who had streamed out of the ground at the fall of the ninth wicket reappeared as Shadab reached a magnificent 92-ball hundred courtesy of back-to-back fours off Atkinson.

That brought the target down to single figures and, when Shadab cracked Atkinson down the ground for six, the writing was on the wall, as he went to the highest score by a number eight batter before Rauf sealed a scarcely-believable win by thumping a four down the ground off Crocombe.

England started the day by slipping to 19 for three when Harry Brook was run out for one, three days after his record-breaking double hundred, a slip when coming back for a second proving his undoing following Razaullah’s bullet throw from the deep.

A century for Duckett

Duckett rebuilt alongside Sam Curran in a restorative 93-run stand which ended when Curran was bounced out by Shaheen Shah Afridi for 42.

Duckett brought up his second ODI ton in Lahore, having made 165 against Australia at the Gaddafi Stadium in last year’s Champions Trophy, before top-edging a sweep to Salman Agha when Arafat Minhas was introduced.

Atkinson belted three sixes in a breezy unbeaten 36 to get England well beyond 200.

He then made the breakthrough when Fakhar Zaman edged to slip, with Crocombe snaring Saim Ayub in identical fashion.

A last stand for the ages

Atkinson then found a hint of movement off the pitch to bowl Babar Azam through the gate and collect his second wicket as Pakistan slipped to 31 for three then 74 for four after Overton accounted for Saad Baig.

Salman Agha and Hasan Nawaz went into their shells in a stodgy 28-run stand in 64 balls before both skied catches to fielders off the metronomic Liam Dawson.

Arafat tucked off his hip to Root off Overton, who snared Afridi when Pakistan’s captain sliced to third and when Razaullah had his off-stump knocked back in Will Jacks’ first over, England appeared set for a first win.

Shadab, though, had the last laugh in an unbroken 89-run stand with Rauf for the ages.