While Ben Stokes steered the chase with an unbeaten 52, Sam Curran, who also bagged the Player of the Tournament award, returned astounding figures of three for 12 to restrict Pakistan.
Asteady procession of Pakistani suckers nearly filled the Melbourne Cricket Ground. There were England sympathizers too but they were lost in a ocean of green that spread across the daises. Yet, Jos Buttler’s men felt at home. And as a Sunday night waned, England seized the ICC T20 World Cup, winning the peak clash by five lattices.
The final was putatively heading England’s way formerly Pakistan’s demure batters mustered 137 for eight. still, the fast bowlers from the forces that produced Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, prised out beforehand lattices. A contest of small perimeters began to take shape but Buttler’s men, conscious of the DLS par score linked to the rain- trouble, kept hustling the runs. Barring the odd featherlight mizzle, the rainfall gods were kind and with Ben Stokes( 52n.o.) showing the way, England finished with 138 for five in 19 overs.
It was n’t easy though as England suffered a jolt in the first over. Shaheen Afridi danced one back and castled Alex Hales. The pressure hardly dissipated in the alternate over as Buttler cropped fours off Naseem Shah and Phil Salt inner- edged once fine- leg. still, Salt hit Haris Rauf straight to short midwicket and Stokes walked by and witnessed Buttler lade a six off Shah.
Rauf also beheaded Buttler with the catch flying into Mohammad Rizwan’s gloves. Stokes and Harry Brook soldiered on while the Pakistan attack floated between hostility and the extensive wide. Stokes and Brook added 39 runs for the fourth- gate before the last- named failed to get once Afridi at long- out and incentive Shadab Khan struck.
But Stokes remained undiminished. He kept muscling his runs and with Moeen Ali for company, waded in to a Mohammad Wasim over. By also Afridi had limped down and Stokes was still there when the winning runs were cropped.
Before, Buttler won the toss and tagged to field and jitters were apparent as Stokes sailed a no- ball, a wide, hawked two free- successes while Rizwan and Babar Azam were chancing their bases. In the fourth over, the daises erupted as Rizwan picked a six off Chris Woakes but when Sam Curran( three for 12) fumed in, the nature dragged a ball onto his wholes.
Just as captain Babar eased his gears, Mohammad Haris heaved a many without connecting. He darted Woakes formerly but when leg- incentive Adil Rashid stepped in, the batter launched straight to Stokes. With Shan Masood giving him company, Babar also nudged Pakistan to 68 for two in 10 overs.
Southpaw Masood launched into incentive Liam Livingstone with a four and a six but against the run of play, Babar got dismissed. Shaping to punch Rashid towards the off- side, the Pakistani commander got cramped for space and tapped a catch back to a diving bowler. Pakistan’s straits continued as Iftikhar Ahmed fatally edged Stokes.
The run rate was sluggish and while Masood and Shadab hit the odd four, further motivation was demanded. The brace left with their tried shots chancing staying triumphs and Pakistan finished with a score that demanded its speedsters to do all the hard work. They tried but England remained insurmountable. Read More News…
