Ben Stokes scored an unbeaten 52 to cap a brilliant bowling and fielding display from England as they beat Pakistan by five wickets in the final of the T20 World Cup at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.
Adil Rashid and Sam Curran led the way in restricting Pakistan to a modest total of just 137 for eight after choosing to bowl first and Stokes’ calm assurance guided England through a tense run-chase as he hit the winning runs to finish with 52 from 49 balls with five fours and a crucial six to complete victory with an over to spare.
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— England Cricket (@englandcricket) November 13, 2022
Curran, named player of the match and tournament, finished with an astonishing analysis of 4-0-12-3 bowling in the Power Play and at the end of the innings.
Player of the Match ?
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) November 13, 2022
Player of the Tournament ?
Some cricketer, @CurranSM ?? pic.twitter.com/9ABklZ7Gwn
Meanwhile, legspinner Rashid had a mighty impact in the middle overs during which he delivered a wicket-maiden to finish with figures of 4-1-22-2.
Opener Alex Hales (1) was bowled off his pads by giant left-arm paceman Shaheen Afridi and Phil Salt (10) spliced a pull shot against Haris Rauf straight to midwicket.
Captain Jos Buttler looked in glorious form smashing three fours and a six during his 26 from 17 balls but had no answer to a wonderful, fast delivery from Rauf which found the edge on its way to keeper Mohammad Rizwan, and England were 45 for three.
Harry Brook and Stokes settled English nerves with a fourth-wicket stand of 39 but, with the asking rate climbing, Brook launched legspinner Shadab Khan towards long-off where Afridi claimed a fine, running catch.
But it was a bitter-sweet moment for Pakistan as Afridi injured his knee and was able to bowl just one delivery of his third over and the five remaining balls, delivered by part-time offspinner Iftikhar Ahmed, cost 13 runs with Stokes hitting a six and a four to long off.
Moeen Ali all but secured victory with three boundaries in a quick-fire 19 from 13 balls but when he was bowled by Mohammad Wasim it was left to Stokes to finish the job and add the T20 World Cup title to the 50-over version which he played such a crucial role in winning three years ago.
Earlier, Rizwaan slog-swept Chris Woakes for six over deep square leg before Curran bowled him off an inside edge for 15 from 14 balls and Mohammad Haris (8) attempted to hit Rashid’s first delivery out of Melbourne but succeeded only in finding Ben Stokes on the long-on boundary.
Captain Babar Azam made his usual cautious start but was unable to accelerate before being bamboozled by a Rashid googly which he could only parry back to the bowler to depart for 32 from 28 balls with only two boundaries.
Iftikhar fended a sharp lifter from Stokes to keeper Buttler, having failed to score from the six deliveries he faced, and top scorer Shan Masood pulled a short ball from Curran straight to Liam Livingstone on the deep midwicket boundary to depart for 38 from 28 deliveries with two fours and a straight six against the mixed spin of Livingstone.
Shadab Khan briefly injected some much-needed urgency into the innings with two fours in his 20 from 14 balls but a miscued off-drive was comfortably taken by Woakes.
Livingstone completed a hat-trick of catches in the deep as Mohammad Wasim (4) and Mohammad Nawaz (5) hoisted Curran and Chris Jordan (2-27) into the leg side.
The trophy lift ??
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) November 13, 2022
Celebrations with loved ones and our amazing fans ?? pic.twitter.com/H2BCdf7j6r
PAKISTAN: Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Haris, Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi
ENGLAND: Jos Buttler (capt & wk), Alex Hales, Philip Salt, Ben Stokes, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid