Ben Stokes stood out as England’s toast for a match winner as he stayed on until the end to hit the winning runs and remain on an unbeaten 52 as his team beat Pakistan by five wickets in the final of the T20 Cricket World Cup in front of a packed Melbourne Cricket Ground yesterday.
Ben Stokes of England celebrates victory. |
England survived some frightening moments in pursuit of a 138 target as they lost three wickets for 45 runs in the first six power play overs.
But with Stokes at the crease England were always assured of victory given the left hand batter’s calm nature under trying situations as he obliged well and truly to become the toast of the night.
In the process Stokes, despite being one of England’s best white ball players, scored his first 50 in T20 Internationals and it could not have come at a better time when his team needed it most.
He phased out his innings with astude leadership facing 49 balls and hitting five fours and a six and the turning point came for England in the 16th over when Pakistan’s express fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi could not bowl five balls of this third over and left the field with an apparent knee injury.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam turned to part time spinner Iftikar Ahmed to bowl the remaining five balls and Stokes relished the occasion hitting the bowler for a six and a four and England needed 28 runs in 24 balls with six wickets in hand and the result was a foregone conclusion.
Sam Curran was adjudged the Player of the Match as well as Tournament. |
Stokes finished off the match in the 19th over bowled by Mohammed Wasim after Moeen Ali hit a brisk 19 in 12 balls as England won with an over to spare.
Pakistan put into bat did not have the kind of start they would have wanted as they were kept in check in the first six power play overs losing Muhammad Rizwan for 15 and making just 39 runs.
Pakistan continued to be kept in check and just managed to get upto 68 in the first 10 overs without any big hitting and any thoughts they would have had of regrouping for a big total was thwarted by the reliable England spinner Adil Rashid who picked up Babar Azam with a return catch for 32.
More trouble came Pakistan’s way when the in-form Iftikar Ahmed edged a ball from Ben Stokes to be caught behind by Jos Buttler without scoring having unsuccessfully faced six balls.
The length to which England’s bowlers had the match in the bag was reflected in the fact that Pakistan were able to manage just 106 runs in 15 overs losing four wickets as Rashid grabbed two wickets for 22 runs from his four overs that also included the wicket of Muhammad Haris for 8.
England could have managed to score just eight fours and two sixes in their entire innings while the top scorer was Shan Masood with 38.
Scores
Pakistan 137 for 8 in 20 overs (Babar Azam 32, Mohammad Rizwan 15, Shan Masood 38, Shadab Khan 20, Sam Curran 3 for 12, Adil Rashid 2 for 22, Chris Jordan 2 for 27)
England 138 for 5 in 19 overs (Jos Buttler 26, Ben Stokes 52 not out, Harry Brook 20, Moeen Ali 19, Harris Rauf 2 for 23, Shaheen Shah Afridi 1 for 13)