Stokes, Curran star as England beat Pakistan by 5 wickets to win T20 World Cup | Cricket News

MELBOURNE: Ben Stokes and Sam Curran played like England edged Pakistan by five wickets to win the Twenty20 World Cup on Sunday and become the sport’s first double white ball champion, holding both the 50 and 20 plus titles.
Jos Buttler’s side held Pakistan 137-8 in front of 80,462 fans on a bustling Melbourne cricket ground, with player of the match Curran pocketing 3-12 and Adil Rashid with 2-22.
As it happened: England v Pakistan
In response, England fell to 49-3 in the sixth as they struggled to gain momentum against a spiritedly paced attack with hard-to-reach limits.
But Stokes (52 not out) and Moeen Ali (19) used their experience and composure to guide England to 138-5 with six balls to spare, culminating a thrilling tournament that lasted 45 games in nearly four ‘a month.
The victory adds to the 50-year title won by England in 2019, building on the legacy of former captain Eoin Morgan, who retired this year after turning the team into a behemoth at white balls.

It was England’s second T20 crown after claiming success in 2010, joining the West Indies as the only two-time winners since the tournament’s inception in 2007.
The game was billed as a showdown between the Pakistani attack and England’s top order, and Shaheen Afridi knocked down dangerous man Alex Hales in the first heat of the chase.
But that only excited Buttler who broke two limits of Naseem Shah.
Phil Salt, playing in place of injured Dawid Malan, didn’t last, making just 10 before firing Haris Rauf at Iftikhar Ahmed.

The ball was swinging and stitching and the menacing Rauf claimed Buttler’s key wicket just as he entered, outpacing wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan on 26 from 17 balls.
The runs dried up and Harry Brook needed treatment for an elbow blow but he persevered as they went 77-3 midway through the innings to Pakistan’s 68-2.
Brook was defeated on 20 against the spin of Shadab Khanaddressing Afridi as he attempted to move the dashboard.
That was like needing 41 runs from the last five overs.

Stokes relieved the pressure with a four and a six over Ahmed and there was no stopping them with the versatile England hitting the winners.
With rain forecasts staying away, England produced disciplined and economical bowling to thwart 2009 champions Pakistan, with Shan Masood’s 38 the best score.
Stokes received the new ball after England won the coin toss and chose the field with Pakistan lucky to survive the top intact as fly-half Rizwan was nearly exhausted for a risky single.
Rizwan and Babar Azam shared a century-long partnership in their semi-final against New Zealand, but another big stand was not to be, with Rizwan trailing a Curran delivery to his stumps on the 15th.

Rashid’s introduction shortly after the six-from-six power play reaped an immediate reward with Mohammad Haris (8) attacking him on his first ball only to make a single catch at Stokes.
Masood started swinging the bat in the second half of the innings, hitting a four and a six against Liam Livingstone.
But once again Rashid made the breakthrough, netting a diving catch from his own bowling to claim Azam’s vital wicket, 32 of which went out from 28 balls.
Ahmed lasted just six balls before Masood and Shadab Khan (20) fell within the space of two points as Curran and Chris Jordan kept lid on any hopes Pakistan had of a late flurry.