Needing eight to win off the last over, Sri Lanka lost two wickets to paceman Josh Tongue, but Liyanage kept his cool to achieve an astonishing victory and overshadow Harry Brook’s record-setting knock.
The England captain hit the fastest-ever ODI double hundred, making 202 off 116 balls to propel his team to a mammoth 429-4 after they were put in to bat.
South Africa hold the record for the highest ODI chase, knocking off a target of 435 against Australia at Johannesburg in 2006.
Batters thoroughly dominated in Rawalpindi as Brook also hit the first ODI double century by an England player. However, Sri Lanka proved up to the challenge as Pavan Rathnayake scored 130, with Avishka Fernando and Dasun Shanaka both making 97.
Liyanage then led them over the line with a blistering 61 not out off 27 balls.
Sri Lanka slid to 24-2 before Rathnayake and Avishka set about transforming the innings, putting on 166 for the third wicket.
Rathnayake then combined with Shanaka to lift the tempo with a rapid 133-run stand off just 79 balls, to give Sri Lanka genuine hope.
Rathnayake hit 15 fours and three sixes while Shanaka’s blazing knock featured eight sixes and six fours, as Sri Lanka delivered a powerful response to Brook’s earlier masterclass.
Sri Lankan skipper Kusal Mendis was delighted at the victory.
“I’m very happy as a captain,” said Mendis. “Everyone believed we can do it. Every day we talk about showing the character in team meetings, and it’s about showing we can get any score.”
Brook was full of praise for Sri Lanka.
“Incredible game of cricket, both teams were exceptional. They played exceptional cricket to knock off 400,” said Brook, downplaying his double hundred.
“It was a nice innings but being on the losing side it has no value whatsoever in my eyes.”
Brook clobbered 10 sixes and 21 fours as England posted a first 400-plus ODI total in Pakistan.
He reached 200 in 114 balls, beating the previous fastest double century in ODIs, by Shubman Gill (117 balls) for India against West Indies last month.
Brook was joined in the fireworks by Joe Root, who scored a 66-ball 69 and became the first England batter to complete 8,000 runs, in his 197th one-day international.
Brook was dismissed off the final delivery, caught off paceman Liyanage, but not before helping England add 156 runs in the last 10 overs.
Opener Tom Banton set the tone with a 51-ball 50 and Will Jacks was 66 not out with three sixes and eight fours.
The day looked as if it would surely belong to history-maker Brook, but Sri Lanka had other ideas as the previous highest ODI total at a Pakistan venue of 375-3 was easily surpassed.
Pakistan, who beat Sri Lanka and England in their two games, will face England in Lahore on Sunday in the next match in the tri-series. (AFP)