Ben Stokes leads England to T20 World Cup glory, break Pakistani hearts

England confirmed its reputation as the masters of short-form cricket by claiming the Twenty20 World Cup with a stirring five-wicket triumph over Pakistan at the MCG on Sunday.

A combination of miserly bowling and poised batting proved the difference as England claimed its second T20 World Cup following its win in the West Indies in 2010.

After restricting Pakistan to 137-8, England struggled for a period in the middle of their pursuit before Ben Stokes lifted the tempo with five overs remaining in Melbourne.

The all-rounder steadied England through a testing time and burnished his reputation for delivering in big matches by top-scoring with an unbeaten 52 runs off 49 balls.

England had one over to spare when Stokes struck the winning runs through mid-wicket, with the left-handed batter jumping into the air in celebration after a superb innings.

Largely dominant throughout the tournament, a shock loss to Ireland in a rain-affected match aside, England is the first nation to hold the T20 and 50-over World Cup titles in tandem.

In his first year as English captain, Jos Buttler led his country superbly throughout the month-long tournament in Australia and was delighted by his nation’s performance in the decider.

Pakistan will ponder what might have been after star pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi injured himself while taking a catch to remove Harry Brook with the final still in the balance.

On returning to the field after treatment, Afridi was reintroduced into the attack with five overs remaining but lasted just one delivery before again limping from the MCG in despair. This proved a reprieve for England, which still required 41 runs from 30 balls when Afridi was brought back on to bowl. It was here that Stokes launched the winning attack with the bat.