Jos Buttler and England will not allow noise around the weather to be a distraction ahead of the T20 World Cup final with Pakistan.

Buttler and Alex Hales combined to steer England to a 10-wicket win in their semi-final against India, the two openers' stand of 170 the highest for any wicket in the competition.

That set up an intriguing final with a Pakistan team that beat New Zealand by seven wickets to qualify for the showpiece at the MGC.

But a forecast of inclement weather could significantly dampen the spectacle. Sunday could be washed out and there is rain forecast for Monday's reserve day, meaning the trophy could be shared.

That would be an unsatisfying end for both sides, and Buttler believes his side can draw on the experience of the Super Over win against New Zealand in the 2019 50-over Cricket World Cup final to help them manage a potentially chaotic couple of days.

"I think any experiences that you can draw on now, good or bad, you will have learned from those and reflect on those to be in situations of adversity or a bit of chaos, you know, those are all things that can happen," Buttler said. 

"And then the World Cup final there's a good chance of things like that happening. So the more experience you've got of being able to understand those feelings and how to react to them. I definitely see that as a benefit. 

"I think whether it's that World Cup final or whether it's different finals in franchise cricket or and any of the experiences that we have as a group that we will draw on will be a benefit.

"Certainly, I think, the weather is something we cannot control and whatever does happen, we must be ready to go in whatever sort of sense that is.

"Obviously, we will, fingers crossed, we will just get a normal game of T20 cricket and that won't be affected. So but I don't want us to waste energy today and tomorrow morning thinking about the weather."

Pakistan looked anything but potential finalists after a thrilling opening loss to India was followed by a stunning defeat to Zimbabwe.

But they found form thereafter and will pose significant danger to England as Babar Azam's side look to win this trophy for the first time since prevailing in England in 2009.

"Of course we lost our first two matches, but the way our team has come back the last four matches, they have performed very well," Babar said.

"We are playing good cricket in the last four matches and we will try and continue that momentum in the final."
 

FAMILIAR FOES

Having played a seven-game T20I series before this tournament, England and Pakistan are very familiar with each other.

England edged that series 4-3 and have won six of the last nine meetings in this format. Additionally, England have won both of their previous T20 World Cup matches with Pakistan, though those were back in 2009 and 2010.

"We've played against them a lot recently, but of course, in very different conditions. It's going to be a different game to the series in Pakistan so we know that we're up against an excellent team," said Buttler. 

"We expect a really tough challenge. As I mentioned before, they're a team we've seen lots of in in the recent past and we've had some brilliant matches against them, played in a fantastic spirit and I'm sure tomorrow will be no different."

MELBOURNE MISERY

Neither Pakistan nor England have won a men’s T20I fixture at the MCG. Pakistan have lost their two previous games at the venue while England have lost all four of their completed games at the famous ground.

Rain could mean neither team gets to end that streak, but the victors - whether the trophy is shared or not - will join West Indies as the only teams to have won this tournament twice.

The T20 World Cup could be shared between Pakistan and England if weather forecasts are to be believed.

The final of the tournament is scheduled to take place at the MCG on Sunday after Pakistan beat New Zealand and England overcame India in the semi-finals.

However, according to the Bureau of Meteorology in Australia, there is a 95 per cent chance of rain in Melbourne on Sunday, with predicted rainfall of up to 25mm and chances of thunderstorms.

Should no play be possible on Sunday, the final could take place on Monday, though that forecast is not much better with rain again deemed likely.

At least 10 overs per team are required to complete a final – up from five overs in the group stage – the failure of which would see the strange occurrence of Pakistan and England being crowned joint champions.

In what has been an otherwise exciting tournament, it would be the fourth match lost to rain at the iconic MCG, which saw three matches washed out by the weather in the group stage, including England's clash with hosts Australia.

Alex Hales believed his chances of competing at a World Cup were over, yet is now on the verge of T20 glory with England.

Hales, who was called up in place of the injured Jonny Bairstow for the T20 World Cup, has been superb for England in Australia and, alongside captain Jos Buttler, delivered a remarkable batting display against India on Thursday.

England's openers put on an unbeaten partnership of 170 – a T20 World Cup record – to claim a resounding 10-wicket victory in Thursday's semi-final at the Adelaide Oval.

It tees up a final against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.

Hales lost his place in the England set-up after testing positive for a recreational drug in 2019, yet the 33-year-old has made the most of his comeback, with his 86 not-out in Adelaide including 11 boundaries, seven of which were sixes.

"It would be right up there, for sure," replied Hales when asked if it was the perfect performance.

"A huge occasion, India in a semi-final of the World Cup – really happy with how I played, as special as it gets.

"This is one of the best venues to bat at in the world, especially in the powerplay, good value for shots, small and square boundaries and a ground I've got good memories at.

"I never thought I'd play in a World Cup again, so to get the chance is a special feeling, in a country I love and where I've spent a lot of time. It's one of the best nights of my career."

Hales became the third England batter, after Buttler and former captain Eoin Morgan, to reach 2,000 runs in the shortest format.

England did not have it all their own way, however, with a late flurry from Hardik Pandya, who plundered 63 from 33 balls, propelling India to a seemingly competitive 168-6 - Virat Kohli (50) had previously become the first batsman to reach 4,000 runs in T20Is.

Yet India never gained any momentum with the ball, and England skipper Buttler, who scored 80 and hit a huge six to round off the win, hailed an outstanding display from his team, who lost to Ireland in their second match of the tournament to leave them with plenty of work to do to get out of Group 1.

"Certainly does feel a long time ago, which is great," Buttler said of the Ireland match. "The character we've shown as a group ever since that moment, coming into a huge game against New Zealand and getting to this point to put in our best performance so far.

"We always wanted to start as fast as we can and be really aggressive – Adil Rashid was down to come in at number 11 today and that's an incredibly long batting line-up, it gives you a lot of freedom when you start out to know you have such depth.

"It's important to enjoy this, it was a brilliant performance. We can reflect on this and enjoy it, and of course we know there's one big task to go."

Of Hales, Buttler said: "He was so tough to bowl at, he used the dimensions of the ground incredibly well.

"We probably complement each other quite nicely, different players, different styles and he's shown fantastic form in the last few matches and he was a brilliant partner."

Chris Jordan played for the first time in the tournament due to Mark Wood's injury, and stepped up with figures of 3-43.

"I think I have to give special praise to Chris, coming into this game having not played and I asked an incredibly tough thing of him to do, to bowl three overs at the death," Buttler added.

"Against a set batsman like Hardik who's one of the best in those situations in the world, he handled it incredibly well."

Alex Hales and Jos Buttler delivered an exceptional batting display as England cruised into the T20 World Cup final with a 10-wicket defeat of India.

Hales (86 not out) and Buttler (80 not out) put on a T20 World Cup record partnership of 170 on Thursday to claim an emphatic victory and tee up a showdown with Pakistan.

England elected to field first at the Adelaide Oval and had India tied up at 75-3 inside 11.2 overs, Adil Rashid (1-20) clinching the key wicket of in-form Suryakumar Yadav (14).

India dug deep as Virat Kohli, who had previously scored five centuries in Adelaide, became the first player to hit 4,000 T20I runs and Hardik Pandya exploded at the other end to guide them to 168-6.

Kohli was dismissed just after making 50, caught brilliantly by Rashid from the bowling of Chris Jordan, who took 3-43 on his return in Mark Wood's absence.

Hardik picked up the slack in the final few overs, with his wonderful 63 from 33 deliveries coming to an end when he stood on his own wickets from the last ball of the innings.

Yet any India momentum was swiftly halted as Buttler and Hales bludgeoned their way to 63 by the end of the powerplay.

Hales then found another gear, rattling to a 28-ball 50, and India had no answer to England's on-song openers.

Buttler, having smacked a huge six down the ground, was dropped by Yadav, with the ball trickling to the boundary to compound India's misery, and England had a place in the final secured with four overs to spare when their captain sent Mohammed Shami for six to wrap up an outstanding win.

Hales' comeback complete

It has been a long road back for Hales, who was banned after testing positive for a recreational drug in 2019. 

Having replaced the injured Jonny Bairstow for this tournament, Hales has been sensational in Australia and on Thursday turned in one of the all-time great performances to make up for lost time. He became the third England player, after Jos Butler, and Eoin Morgan, to register 2,000 T20I runs.

Buttler brilliance sets up MCG rematch

While Kohli and Hardik let loose late on, Buttler's captaincy must be lauded, with England having limited their opponents for much of their innings.

Buttler, now onto 19 T20I half-centuries, then delivered with the bat, fittingly finishing the job with a sublime shot.

After falling short in the semi-finals against New Zealand last year, England will face Pakistan in Melbourne, 30 years on from a World Cup final between the nations at the same venue.

Virat Kohli became the first batsman to reach 4,000 runs in the shortest format as he racked up a classy half-century in India's T20 World Cup semi-final against England.

The India star and former captain produced yet another important innings for his country as the tournament's leading run-scorer added 50 to his tally at the Adelaide Oval.

That took him to 296 at this World Cup and 4,008 in all T20Is, well ahead of nearest rival and India team-mate Rohit Sharma (3,853).

Kohli ran two to get his fourth 50 in this tournament but was then caught brilliantly by Adil Rashid next ball, with India posting 168-6 as Hardik Pandya plundered 63 off 33 deliveries.

India can be proud of their T20 World Cup run, regardless of the result against England in Thursday's semi-final, so says captain Rohit Sharma.

The two teams will battle it out on Thursday at the Adelaide Oval for the opportunity to take on Pakistan in the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.

India finished top of Group 2, and have key players in form heading into the clash with England, who claimed second place in Group 1 at Australia's expense.

In his first major tournament in charge, Rohit believes India must be satisfied with their progress, as they target a third appearance in a T20 World Cup final.

He said in a press conference: "For us as players, as a team, I think we can pride ourselves to be here at this point in time because we saw two of the quality teams which were knocked out, and anything can happen in this format.

"For us, I think to be here at this point in time, I think we can take a lot of credit and pride ourselves in where we have come."

Two of the key batters for India in this tournament have been Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav. 

Former captain Kohli is 42 runs away from becoming the first batter to register 4,000 runs in men's T20I cricket and is the leading run-scorer in the tournament with 246 runs.

Meanwhile, Yadav impressed against Zimbabwe with his fearlessness and creative shot selection in a brilliant 61 not out off just 25 deliveries.

"He's the sort of guy who just doesn't carry any baggage with him," Rohit said of Yadav.

"You can see that when he plays. It's not like he's played a couple of tournaments like that. He's been playing like that for a year now, and it shows, and you can judge the kind of character he is, and he likes to play like that.

"He's shown great maturity, as well, has taken pressure from a lot of the guys the way he plays, and it rubs off on the other side, as well, when they bat around him."

Overcoming Yadav and Kohli will be crucial if England are to progress, but dismissing the pair could prove even more difficult should Mark Wood, who is an injury concern, be unable to play.

Chris Jordan could fill in, while Sam Curran has stepped up, having taken 10 wickets in the tournament and with one more the 24-year-old would become the most successful English bowler in a single edition of the T20 World Cup.

Captain Jos Buttler knows that in Yadav, England face one of the world's most dangerous players.

"I think he's someone who has probably been the batter of the tournament so far in terms of the way you want to watch someone go about it," he said.

"I think his biggest strength looks to be the amount of freedom he plays with. He's obviously got all the shots, but he allows himself to play all the shots, as well. He's got a very free mindset from what I can see.

"But as with any batsman in the world, it takes one chance to create a wicket. We desperately need to find a way to do that, and it would be remiss just to think about him. I think they have some other excellent players, as well."

England will be looking to overturn their poor form against India in recent fixtures, with just one win in their last five T20I meetings.

Ben Stokes is backing England to improve on their group-stage performances when they face India in a "do or die" T20 World Cup semi-final.

Stokes' unbeaten 42 helped England to a four-wicket win over Sri Lanka on Saturday, ensuring they progressed from Group 1 after bouncing back from their below-par start to the tournament.

Things looked bleak for Jos Buttler's team when they slipped to a shock defeat against Ireland in their second group game, while they were also forced to endure a nervy finish against Sri Lanka after losing five wickets in the space of just seven overs.

However, Stokes expects England to produce a more polished display in Adelaide on Thursday, saying: "We had a few up and down moments in the group stages, but we can forget about those now. 

"We know if we execute anywhere near where we want to be then we will be a very hard team to beat.

"We're in a position now that it's do or die. What I don't think anyone will do is take a backward step. 

"We talk a lot about how we want to play when it comes to the pressure moments, and what we'll see here is us trying to deliver on what we talk about, not taking the cautious option."

Stokes was part of the England team that beat India en route to being crowned ODI world champions in 2019, and he thinks Buttler's side must replicate the approach they adopted in that win.

"It's the way we went out and played that game, rather than looking at the result, just look at the mindset and mentality," Stokes said.

"We didn't take a backward step, so I think we can take a lot of confidence, knowing that if we go in with a similar mindset then hopefully, we'll do alright."

Meanwhile, Stokes says England will trust the advice of security consultant Reg Dickason as they prepare for a red-ball tour of Pakistan next month, with the build-up to that visit being overshadowed by a gun attack on Imran Khan.

"Obviously what happened last week was a bit of a shock to see," Stokes said. "But Reg has been out there. He's the best man to assess the situation.

"Whatever Reg comes back with, the players and the people going out on that tour 100 per cent trust him, because he's a man you trust with your life."

Kane Williamson lavished praise on New Zealand's "outstanding" bowling attack as they prepare to face Pakistan in the first T20 World Cup semi-final on Wednesday.

The Blacks Caps qualified for the last four as Group 1 winners, winning three matches and only suffering one defeat against England.

Beaten by Australia in the final in Dubai last year, the consistent Black Caps once again find themselves challenging for another trophy.

New Zealand have never won the T20 World Cup but have a great chance to put the heartbreak of the 2021 final behind them in Australia.

Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Mitchell Santner, Lockie Ferguson and Ish Sodhi have all shown their quality with the ball for the Black Caps.

Captain Williamson knows he is lucky to have such a strong attack.

He said: "They're experienced players for us. They've played for us a long time, whether that's taking wickets or, in particular, adjusting to conditions which certainly we need them to come to tournaments, world events, that's a big part of playing.

"So they've been outstanding throughout this tournament. And tomorrow we're at another venue against another opposition, and we'll have to make those adjustments again."

Pakistan sneaked into the semi-finals thanks to the Netherlands' shock defeat of South Africa after Babar Azam's side beat Bangladesh.

Williamson knows how dangerous Pakistan can be as they prepare for a showdown at the Sydney Cricket Ground, with the winners facing England or India.

"They've got an outstanding pace attack. They've been playing really good cricket. They've got very experienced players on their side, who are match-winners. So, that's a real strength for them," the batter said.

Pakistan beat New Zealand in a tri-series final last month and have won four of the past five matches between the two sides in the shortest format.

 

Afridi firing on all cylinders 

Shaheen Shah Afridi has demonstrated why Pakistan were so eager for him to return to full fitness for this tournament after a spell out with a knee injury.

The left-arm paceman looked understandably rusty at the start of the Super 12 stage, but played a huge part in seeing Pakistan through by claiming 3-14 in a win over South Africa and 4-22 in the victory over the Tigers.

Afridi takes some stopping when he is at his hostile best and New Zealand's openers will need to try and see him off when he charges in with the new ball.

Babar due to show his brilliance

Pakistan have been able to count on captain Babar time and again with the bat, but he had not reached double figures before making 25 against Bangladesh.

The prolific skipper never tends to go long without a significant score and it would be no surprise if he delivers on the big stage in Sydney.

Run machine Babar averages an impressive 41.39 in T20Is, with a strike rate of 127.98.

Dawid Malan is a major doubt for England's T20 World Cup semi-final against India on Thursday.

The batter suffered a groin injury while fielding in a victory over Sri Lanka on Saturday that saw England through to the last four.

Malan was unable to bat in that crucial win at the Sydney Cricket Ground and looks likely to miss the showdown with Rohit Sharma's side at the Adelaide Oval.

England all-rounder Moeen Ali told the BBC: "He [Malan] is a big player and has been for a number of years.

"He has been one of our best players. I don't know but it doesn't look great."

Phil Salt could come into the side if the former number one T20I batter in the world is ruled out.

England may also consider bringing in an extra bowler, with Chris Jordan, David Willey and Tymal Mills alternative options.

New Zealand face Pakistan in the first semi-final at the SCG on Wednesday.

Rohit Sharma believes Suryakumar Yadav is getting better and better as the India captain hailed his team-mate's form as "remarkable".

Yadav scored an unbeaten 61 from just 25 deliveries on Sunday against Zimbabwe to help seal a 71-run victory, sealing India's progression to the T20 World Cup semi-finals as Group 2 winners.

India will now face England, who edged out Sri Lanka on Saturday to progress into the last four at the expense of hosts Australia, for a place in the final.

Yadav has been in fine form throughout the tournament. The 32-year-old has scored 225 runs across his five innings, while his knock at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday included 10 boundaries, with four of those beating the rope entirely. 

"What Suryakumar is doing for the team is remarkable, just coming out there, playing that way, taking the pressure off the others," Rohit said.

"We know his ability, and it allows the guy at the other end to take his time.

"The dugout can really be at ease when he bats, and he's shown a lot of composure when he's batted. We expected this from him, and he's gone from strength to strength."

Despite being pleased with India's display against Zimbabwe, Rohit is looking for a step up in their level against England in Adelaide.

"[It was] a very good all-round performance, [which was] something we were looking for," Rohit said.

"We had qualified, but we wanted to come out and play the way we wanted to play, which we achieved.

"We have played a game there, but we need to adjust quickly. England are a good team, and it will be a great contest.

"We should take pride in qualifying, firstly, and if we play that semi-final well, we have another big game as well."

Pakistan capitalised on South Africa's shock loss and completed a remarkable turnaround to qualify for the T20 World Cup semi-finals after a five-wicket victory over Bangladesh on Sunday.

Heading into the final group-stage games, South Africa seemed certain to advance from Group 2 but slumped to a 13-run loss to the Netherlands, meaning the winner of the Pakistan-Bangladesh game at the Adelaide Oval would reach the final four.

Shaheen Shah Afridi starred with the ball with 4-22 for Pakistan, who lost their opening two World Cup games, as they restricted Bangladesh 127-8 before chasing down the target with 11 balls to spare.

Mohammad Rizwan (32 from 32), Mohammad Haris (31 from 18) and Shan Masood (24* from 14) contributed to the successful chase, which was far from seamless.

Bangladesh were left frustrated after a controversial decision by third umpire Langton Rusere who gave out captain Shakib Al Hasan LBW for a golden duck despite appearing to hit the ball.

Shakib's wicket was one of two to fall in Shadab Khan's over after Bangladesh had been 70-1 at the 10-over mark, appearing destined for a far-greater score. Opener Najmul Hossain Shanton top scored for the Tigers with 54 from 48 balls but Bangladesh lost their way after his dismissal at 91-4 in the 14th over.

Shakib reluctant to walk after dubious call

Shakib's dismissal was a key moment, and it was controversial, with the Bangladesh skipper reluctant to walk despite being given out by both the on-field umpire and the third umpire.

Bangladesh were set to launch for a total of 150-plus at the halfway mark, before losing Soumya Sarkar and Shakib in successive deliveries. After being given out LBW, Shakib quickly reviewed the decision. The replay showed a mark on Ultra Edge coinciding with the ball's path past the bat, yet Langton deemed that no bat was involved, believing Shakib instead had hit the ground with his bat.

Pakistan advance against all odds

Pakistan's World Cup seemed over after losing two final-over thrillers to rivals India and lowly Zimbabwe to open their tournament, yet they have responded to progress to the semi-finals. That hardly seemed possible after South Africa toppled India last Sunday but the 2009 champions remain in the hunt for a second title.

That's all the more staggering given gun batsman Babar Azam failed again, scoring 25 off 33 balls, having managed only 39 runs at 7.80 in five games.

The Netherlands have produced a stunning upset to knock South Africa out of the T20 World Cup after a 13-run victory at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.

The Proteas simply needed to beat the associate nation to secure their spot in the semi-finals but allowed the Netherlands to score 158-4, including 45 off the final four overs, before falling apart in the chase, to be 145-8

South Africa's slip-up means the winner of the Pakistan-Bangladesh game at the same venue in fine conditions will finish second in Group 2 and take on Group 1 winners New Zealand in the semis at the SCG on Wednesday. The Proteas' loss also means India go through and top Group 2.

Player of the Match Colin Ackermann was heroic for the Dutch with an unbeaten 41 from 26 balls, helping their late charge, before Brandon Glover (3-9) and Fred Klaassen (2-20) starred with the ball.

South Africa's pursuit never got going after the loss of openers Quinton de Kock (13) and Temba Bavuma (20), but they seemed in a winning position at 90-3 in the 13th over, needing 68 off 46.

Yet it all fell apart for the Proteas with wickets tumbling, as Klaassen had Aiden Markram caught by Stephan Myburgh before Glover grabbed two quick wickets to dismiss potential game-winner David Miller for 17 and Wayne Parnell for a duck. From there, South Africa's tail could not get them near the target.

Van der Merwe delivers the key moment

Roelof van der Merwe's brilliant catch running backwards to dismiss danger man Miller was arguably the moment of the match. South Africa had six wickets left, needing 47 off 29 balls, when Miller mis-timed a hook shot, which was lofted towards fine leg but the 37-year-old never took his eyes off the ball and pulled off a diving effort to re-claim any momentum the Proteas had at that stage.

Another South African World Cup disaster

South Africa's loss and subsequent elimination will be tough to swallow. The Proteas, who have never made a T20 World Cup final and have an inglorious past in the 50-over version, appeared destined for the last four for the first time since 2014. Instead, they suffered their first-ever loss to the Netherlands across any format.

Wayne Parnell explained the motivation he takes from Cristiano Ronaldo as the bowler looked towards South Africa's T20 World Cup clash with the Netherlands.

Ronaldo has altered his goal celebration as of late, replacing his famous "Siu" with a "peace of mind" gesture, seemingly in response to his trouble at Manchester United this season.

It is a celebration that has been copied at the T20 World Cup by South Africa paceman Parnell, standing with his eyes closed, fingers crossed in front of his chest and his head rolled back.

Parnell has taken five wickets so far in Australia, helping South Africa to two victories in Group 2. Ahead of their final match of the pool stage against the Netherlands on Sunday, the Proteas sit in second place, and a victory over the Dutch would guarantee their place in the last four.

And in his pre-match press conference, Parnell explained how he takes inspiration from one of the world's finest footballers.

He said: "It's the Ronaldo celebration. He has always been one of my favourite footballers, and I've obviously followed his career quite closely.

"And I think I've kind of taken on some stuff that he has been going through, you know, as a professional athlete and someone that's very competitive and passionate about doing well.

"That's something that I've always wanted to do as well is contribute to the team's success."

It is not all about emulating an idol, though. For Parnell, it is also about enjoying playing in front of crowds again following the coronavirus pandemic.

"It's just about having fun as well," Parnell added, "I think, you know, we're very lucky to be playing this sport and to be able to do it on this world stage.

"Obviously, there's no COVID, so we have fans back, and it's just about entertaining everyone."

Looking ahead to South Africa's must-win game on Sunday, Parnell said: "I think now it's just really simple. If you actually look at it, tomorrow is basically a quarter-final. Then obviously if we win that, we go to a semi-final. If we win that, we go to the final.

"In a way it's actually worked out well where we are under a certain amount of pressure to obviously get through, but I always like to look at it from a positive point of view where it's basically a quarter-final. It's just about winning it really."

Jos Buttler believes Ben Stokes will "grow and grow" as England aim for T20 World Cup glory in Australia.

Stokes' unbeaten 42 helped guide England to a four-wicket win over Sri Lanka on Saturday at the Sydney Cricket Ground, ensuring they progressed from Group 1 alongside New Zealand, last year's runners up.

It means the reigning champions and hosts Australia failed to reach the last four, with England set to face the winner of Group 2 in Adelaide for a place in the final.

England appeared to be cruising towards victory when, having limited Sri Lanka to 141-8, Buttler and opening partner Alex Hales plundered their way to 75 without loss.

Yet the loss of five wickets for 36 runs in the space of seven overs resulted in a nervy finish for England, and Stokes had to step up late on to set the stage for Chris Woakes to strike the winning boundary with two balls to spare.

"Not a great watch, to be honest – didn't enjoy that much," Buttler said at the post-match presentation.

"We knew, coming here, we had to find a way to win the game, thankfully we did that."

Asked if Stokes was the ideal player for the scenario, Buttler replied: "Absolutely, it's the kind of situation he's made for, I'm delighted for him and when he's at the crease, that gives you a sense of calm.

"He can play a lot of roles, he effects the game in all facets, he's a proper competitor and it's getting to the stage of the competition where you'll just see him grow and grow."

Stokes missed last year's T20 World Cup, and only returned to action in the format in a warm-up series against Australia ahead of this edition of the tournament, with his score on Saturday his best since he managed 46 against India in March 2021.

Another key player for England against Sri Lanka was Adil Rashid, whose figures of 1-16 saw him named the Player of the Match.

When asked if he was worried by the fast start Sri Lanka made with the bat, Buttler said: "Yeah, a little bit, they got off to a really good start and having lost the toss we knew the wicket would probably slow up as we went along.

"I thought it was a fantastic over from Adil Rashid at the back end of the powerplay to change the momentum. He's been someone we've always turned to and I was really pleased with his performance.

"I think a lot of people always look at the end column, maybe he hasn't picked up the wickets he usually does. I don't think he's bowled with much luck, to be honest. He's had a few chances that were missed, I think he's still bowling well, and on surfaces like this he's a really tough bowler to face."

Rashid took the wicket of opener Pathum Nissanka, whose 67 had anchored Sri Lanka's innings. 

Pathum has now accumulated over 1,000 T20I runs, becoming the 10th player from his nation to reach the milestone.

Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes held their nerve to guide England to a four-wicket win over Sri Lanka and into the T20 World Cup semi-finals.

Boasting a better net run-rate than hosts Australia in Group 1, England knew victory would be enough at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday to see them progress alongside New Zealand at the expense of the reigning champions.

Matters looked bleak for Jos Buttler's team, however, when a sloppy opening seven overs bowlers allowed Sri Lanka to advance for 65-1, yet spearheaded by Mark Wood's 3-26 and Adil Rashid's 1-16 – his wicket being the dismissal of the excellent Pathum Nissanka (67) – England took seven wickets for just 76 runs for the remainder of the innings, limiting their opponents to 141-8.

England looked to be strolling to victory at 75-0 from the opening 43 deliveries, with Alex Hales and Buttler excelling in the power play before the latter succumbed to Wanindu Hasaranga.

Hales, whose 47 included eight boundaries, was caught and bowled by Hasaranga two overs later, with Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone and Moeen Ali falling in quick succession as England wobbled.

Sam Curran picked out Kasun Rajitha at fine leg to pile the pressure on, yet Stokes (42) – so many times a hero – provided the composure, chipping away to leave England needing five runs from the final over.

It was Woakes who provided the final flourish, whipping a cut away to the boundary to ensure victory with two balls to spare.

England's redemption shot

Under Eoin Morgan, England reached the semi-finals of last year's T20 World Cup, only to fall short against New Zealand, who themselves were beaten by Australia in the final.

England – who have now won each of their last eight men's T20Is against Sri Lanka – will now face the winner of Group 2 for a place in the showpiece match this time around.

Pathum reaches Sri Lanka milestone

His knock might ultimately have proved fruitless, but it saw Pathum become the 10th Sri Lanka batter to accumulate 1,000 T20I runs, while he is the second-fastest to achieve the feat in terms of innings (after Kusal Perera).

Hasaranga also had a fine match with the ball, finishing with 2-23. It means he ends the tournament with 15 wickets, one short of his tally from the 2021 edition (16), which is the highest on record in the competition's history.

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.