MELBOURNE, Australia: Ben Stokes and Sam Curran starred as England edged Pakistan by way of 5 wickets to win the Twenty20 International Cup on Sunday and turn out to be the game’s first twin white-ball champions, maintaining each the 50 and 20-over titles.
Jos Buttler’s aspect held Pakistan to 137-8 in entrance of a partisan 80,462 enthusiasts at a heaving Melbourne Cricket Floor, with player-of-the-match and match Curran bagging 3-12 and Adil Rashid chipping with 2-22. In answer, England slumped to 49-3 within the 6th over as they struggled to get any momentum in opposition to a fiery tempo assault, with limitations exhausting to return by way of.
However Stokes (52 now not out) and Moeen Ali (19) used their enjoy and funky heads to lead England to 138-5 with six balls to spare, climaxing a riveting match that spanned 45 video games over just about a month. “In finals, particularly when chasing, you almost certainly disregard all of the exhausting paintings earlier than that. To limit them to 130, the bowlers must take numerous credit score. Adil Rashid and Sam Curran gained us the sport,” stated Stokes.
“Lovely just right night time. Representing your nation in International Cups is astounding, it’s been a just right one.” Curran stated Stokes will have to had been participant of the event. “All of us glance as much as him. Folks query him, however he’s unbelievable. He’s the person,” he stated.
“The best way I bowl, I’m going into the wicket with my slower balls and stay the batsmen guessing. International champions, how just right,” he added. The victory added to the 50-over identify England gained in 2019, construction at the legacy of former captain Eoin Morgan, who retired this 12 months after reworking the group right into a white-ball juggernaut.
It was once England’s 2nd T20 crown after tasting good fortune in 2010, becoming a member of the West Indies as the one two-time winners because the match’s inception in 2007. The sport was once billed as a showdown between Pakistan’s assault and England’s most sensible order, and Shaheen Afridi bowled threat guy Alex Hales within the first over of the run chase.
However that handiest fired up Buttler who smashed two limitations off Naseem Shah. Phil Salt, enjoying instead of the injured Dawid Malan, didn’t ultimate, making simply 10 earlier than pulling Haris Rauf to Iftikhar Ahmed. The ball was once swinging and seaming and the menacing Rauf claimed the important thing wicket of Buttler simply as he was once entering into, edging to wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan on 26 off 17 balls.
The runs dried up as they reached 77-3 on the midway level of the innings, in comparison to Pakistan’s 68-2. Harry Brook got here undone on 20 in opposition to the spin of Shadab Khan, holing out to Afridi and got here right down to desiring 41 runs off the overall 5 overs.
Rashid moves
Stokes relieved the force with a 4 and a six off Ahmed and there was once no preventing them with the England all-rounder hitting the successful runs. With forecast rain staying away, England produced disciplined and economical bowling to stymie 2009 champions Pakistan, with Shan Masood’s 38 the highest ranking.
Stokes was once given the brand new ball after England gained the toss and selected to box with Pakistan fortunate to live on the over intact as opener Rizwan was once virtually run out going for a dangerous unmarried. Rizwan and Babar Azam shared a century partnership of their semi-final in opposition to New Zealand, however some other giant stand wasn’t to be, with Rizwan dragging a supply from Curran directly to his stumps on 15.
The creation of Rashid quickly after the six-over powerplay reaped an instantaneous praise with Mohammad Haris (8) attacking him on his first ball handiest to sky a easy catch to Stokes. Masood started swinging the bat in the second one part of the innings, hitting a 4 and 6 off Liam Livingstone.
However as soon as once more Rashid were given the step forward, pulling off a diving catch from his personal bowling to say the necessary wicket of Azam, whose 32 got here off 28 balls. Ahmed handiest lasted six balls earlier than Masood and Shadab Khan (20) fell within the area of 2 runs as Curran and Chris Jordan stored the lid on any hope Pakistan had of a past due flurry. – AFP