England hold nerve to seal T20 World Cup glory
Ben Stokes held his nerve with an unbeaten half-century as England claimed their second Twenty20 World Cup title with a five-wicket win over Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday. Thirty years after losing the 50-over World Cup final to Pakistan at the MCG, England turned the tables on the south Asians with brilliant death bowling and with Stokes finishing on 52 not out in a chase of 138 for victory. England became the first nation to hold both global white ball titles, having won the 50-over World Cup on home soil in 2019. In the nerve-jangling final win over New Zealand in 2019, Stokes also stood tall with an unbeaten 84. "In finals, especially chasing, you forgot all the hard work that came first," Stokes said. "To restrict them to 130 or whatever it was, the bowlers take a lot of credit." All-rounder Sam Curran was player-of-the-match after finishing with miserly figures of 3-12 as Pakistan collapsed late to finish on 137 for eight, having been sent in to bat by England captain Jos Buttler. He was also named player-of-the-tournament after consistent brilliance in death bowling. "Very special but I don't think I should be getting this, I think the way Stokesy played there – to get a 50 in the final, he does it so many times for us," said Curran. "We are going to enjoy this occasion, very special." (Reuters)