England have beaten Pakistan in the T20 World Cup final after a superb bowling performance set up Ben Stokes for another match-winning innings.
Chasing 138, England got home by five wickets despite losing Alex Hales early to an unplayable delivery by Shaheen Afridi.
But Ben Stokes was once again England’s hero, scoring an unbeaten half century with the bat to calm nerves and secure victory.
The match in Melbourne looked set for a tight finish until Stokes hit a flurry of late boundaries, including a six, to break Pakistan’s hearts.
Left-arm seamer Sam Curran was the pick of England’s bowlers, conceding just 12 runs and taking three wickets. Adil Rashid and Chris Jordan chipped in with two wickets each, with Stokes picking up one.
Only Shan Masood, with 38 and captain Babar Azam, on 32, were able to make any meaningful contribution to Pakistan’s score.
England last T20 World Cup win was in the Caribbean. They are also the current one-day international champions, which they won at Lord’s in the famous final of 2019.
England reached this year’s final despite a humiliating defeat in a rain affected match against Ireland in the earlier rounds.
The win is a triumph for Jos Buttler, who took over the captaincy from Eoin Morgan only this summer.