Ben Stokes says England's bowling attack was the key factor in their victory over Pakistan in the T20 World Cup final on Sunday, despite his crucial half-century.

Sam Curran (3-12) and Adil Rashid (2-22) bowled superbly to restrict Pakistan to just 137-8, though England's chase did not get off to the greatest of starts as openers Alex Hales and Jos Buttler were removed within the powerplay.

Stokes came in with England 32-2 after 3.3 overs, but smashed a sublime 52 off 49 deliveries to record his first ever T20I half-century and help his country to their second T20 World Cup title.

Stokes was keen to highlight England's bowlers as the reason for the win at the MCG in Melbourne, telling Sky Sports: "I think when you chase totals in games like this, you forget the hard work that goes in before.

"I thought the way that we bowled, Adil Rashid, Sam Curran, that's what won us the game. To restrict them to whatever we did, bowlers have got to take a lot of credit for that.

"We didn't feel under too much pressure with the run chase. I never felt it was out of our hands at all. It's never really panic stations when it's under eight an over."

England's triumph comes after a shock defeat to Ireland in the group stage that threatened to derail their tournament, having come in as one of the favourites.

Stokes referenced that loss after the final victory, saying: "I think with that [Ireland defeat] being so early in the competition, we obviously had to address it, say what we said and then let it go.

"In tournaments, you can't carry baggage. That was a little blip, but the best teams learn from their mistakes, they take it on the chin but they never let it affect them and they just let it go and move onto the next challenge."

England's success comes in new captain Jos Buttler's first tournament since taking over from previous incumbent Eoin Morgan, who led the team to ODI World Cup glory in 2019.

Stokes says Buttler has built on Morgan's good work to create history of his own, adding: "Jos has now created his own legacy.

"When the great man stepped down [pointing to Morgan] and Jos took over, you look how quickly he's managed to take control of the team and progress it from the legacy that Morgs [Morgan] has left.

"He's a guy who everyone follows. I think it shouldn't be taken for granted how hard it can be to make tactical decisions under pressure in this format. Ninety-five per cent of his decision-making he's got right. We're lucky to have him."

Ben Stokes says England's bowling attack was the key factor in their victory over Pakistan in the T20 World Cup final on Sunday, despite his crucial half-century.

Sam Curran (3-12) and Adil Rashid (2-22) bowled superbly to restrict Pakistan to just 137-8, though England's chase did not get off to the greatest of starts as openers Alex Hales and Jos Buttler were removed within the powerplay.

Stokes came in with England 32-2 after 3.3 overs, but smashed a sublime 52 off 49 deliveries to record his first ever T20I half-century and help his country to their second T20 World Cup title.

Stokes was keen to highlight England's bowlers as the reason for the win at the MCG in Melbourne, telling Sky Sports: "I think when you chase totals in games like this, you forget the hard work that goes in before.

"I thought the way that we bowled, Adil Rashid, Sam Curran, that's what won us the game. To restrict them to whatever we did, bowlers have got to take a lot of credit for that.

"We didn't feel under too much pressure with the run chase. I never felt it was out of our hands at all. It's never really panic stations when it's under eight an over."

England's triumph comes after a shock defeat to Ireland in the group stage that threatened to derail their tournament, having come in as one of the favourites.

Stokes referenced that loss after the final victory, saying: "I think with that [Ireland defeat] being so early in the competition, we obviously had to address it, say what we said and then let it go.

"In tournaments, you can't carry baggage. That was a little blip, but the best teams learn from their mistakes, they take it on the chin but they never let it affect them and they just let it go and move onto the next challenge."

England's success comes in new captain Jos Buttler's first tournament since taking over from previous incumbent Eoin Morgan, who led the team to ODI World Cup glory in 2019.

Stokes says Buttler has built on Morgan's good work to create history of his own, adding: "Jos has now created his own legacy.

"When the great man stepped down [pointing to Morgan] and Jos took over, you look how quickly he's managed to take control of the team and progress it from the legacy that Morgs [Morgan] has left.

"He's a guy who everyone follows. I think it shouldn't be taken for granted how hard it can be to make tactical decisions under pressure in this format. Ninety-five per cent of his decision-making he's got right. We're lucky to have him."

England won the T20 World Cup after Ben Stokes' first ever T20I half-century helped them to a five-wicket victory over Pakistan in Sunday's final at the MCG.

Excellent bowling in particular from Adil Rashid and Sam Curran held Pakistan to just 137-8, and England overcame some nervy moments in the chase to win their second T20 World Cup.

After England won the toss and opted to bowl in Melbourne, Pakistan struggled to get going, mustering just four boundaries on their way to 68-2 after 10 overs.

Despite Shan Masood's best efforts (38 runs from 28 balls), England then tore through Pakistan's middle order, Curran finishing with excellent figures of 3-12.

Pakistan required early wickets, and Shaheen Afridi found just what they needed with the final ball of the first over, sending an absolute ripper crashing through Alex Hales' middle stump.

Jos Buttler and Phil Salt steadied the ship before Salt was dismissed in the fourth over when smashing Haris Rauf's delivery straight to the waiting Iftikhar Ahmed, before Rauf then claimed the key wicket of Buttler (26 off 17) as the England skipper nicked behind.

England were now in real peril of letting the game and tournament slip through their fingers, though an important third-wicket stand took them to 84-4 before Brook fell for 20 from 23 deliveries, Afridi taking the catch off Shadab Khan's bowling.

Afridi injured himself in his role in that dismissal, and though he tried to return, he could only bowl one ball of his third over before being forced off the field.

Stokes and Moeen Ali took full advantage, nailing boundaries as they closed in on the target, with Moeen hitting three fours in the 17th over to take England within 12 of victory.

He was removed in the 19th over by Mohammad Wasim, but Stokes and Liam Livingstone finished the job, with Stokes hitting the winning run to end on 52 off 49 deliveries and win the tournament for his nation.

Curran shines in brightest moment

In the biggest game of his young career, Curran's 3-12 and 15 dot balls were key in restricting Pakistan to a score of just 137.

Along with Rashid (2-22), England's bowling attack set their star batting order up to go and win the game, which they just about managed.

Stokes comes up trumps again

Stokes, one of England's main men over recent years, came up huge for his country yet again with a vital innings to help them to victory.

Coming in with England 32-2 after 3.3 overs, Stokes' first ever T20I half-century came at the perfect time to add another historic performance to his already impressive resume.

Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell broke his leg in a freak accident on Saturday and underwent surgery, ruling him out of the upcoming ODI series against England.

Cricket Australia confirmed on Sunday that the 34-year-old had fractured his left fibula, with a timeline on his recovery to be known later in the week.

It has been reported that Maxwell sustained the injury at a 50th birthday party on Saturday night, although he was not intoxicated.

The big-hitter has been replaced by Sean Abbott for the upcoming three-game ODI series against England due to commence in Adelaide on Thursday, having been named in Australia's squad on Tuesday.

"Glenn is in good spirits. It was an unfortunate accident and we feel for Glenn in the circumstances given he was in great touch in his last few games," Australia's national selection chair George Bailey said.

"Glenn is a critical part of our white ball structure and we will continue to support him through his recovery and rehabilitation."

Maxwell was part of Australia's squad which missed the semi-finals at the T20 World Cup, scoring 118 runs with a strike rate of 161.64, while taking three wickets with an economy rate of 6.00.

Given the injury, Maxwell, who is the Melbourne Stars captain, appears unlikely to be available for the 2022-23 Big Bash League season.

West Indies legend Sir Vivian Richards has insisted the cricket-loving fans of the region deserved more from the team in light of a disappointing World Cup campaign.

On Sunday, at the end of the 2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup final, either Pakistan or England will join the West Indies as two-time winners of the tournament.

The Caribbean team, however, once the standard bearers in the world’s shortest format, were nowhere close to hitting those heights in this edition as they crashed out of the tournament in the first round following losses to Scotland and Ireland.

Richards, who once thrilled as part of an all-conquering squad, insists such results are difficult for fans in the region to take, particularly given the team’s once proud legacy.

“There is a legacy where this whole thing is concerned and maybe that’s why some of these players are currently on show,” Richards told the Good Morning Jojo Radio program.

“So, there are a lot of things to represent and I just think that’s lacking. The West Indian fans deserve much more because we have had so many issues like the pandemic and we needed something to uplift us and there are times when we look to our sportsmen and women to do that and presently, the West Indies team is basically lacking where that is concerned.”

The former captain, however, also believes the issue of player availability must be addressed.

The Guyana Harpy Eagles became the first team to advance to the semi-finals of the 2022 CG Insurance Super50 Cup when they defeated the Combined Campuses and Colleges by 129 runs at the Queens Park Oval in Trinidad & Tobago on Saturday.

 The Harpy Eagles were bowled out for a formidable 266 in 47.3 overs thanks to an 88-ball 75 from Tevin Imlach including only one four and two sixes.

Opener Kemol Savory also got a half-century with 69 and Kevin Sinclair contributed 27.

Matthew Forde (2-41 from nine overs), Amari Goodridge (2-55 from 9.3 overs), Romario Greaves (2-65 from 10 overs) and Isaiah Ali (2-39 from nine overs) were the wicket-takers for the CCC.

In reply, only former West Indies captain Denesh Ramdin (32 not out) and opener Kirstan Kallicharan (32) were able to provide any resistance for the CCC as they were bowled out for 137 in just 36.1 overs.

Kevin Sinclair completed a solid all-round performance with 3-26 from his 10 overs while Nial Smith took 3-21 from 6.1. Gudakesh Motie and Romario Shepherd took two wickets each.

Guyana finished Zone A with 16 points from their six outings and will be joined in the last four by the winner of the ongoing game between the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force and the Windward Islands Volcanoes.

Jonathan Carter took his second five-wicket haul in List A cricket to help the Barbados Pride to an 82-run victory over the West Indies Academy at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Friday.

The Academy won the toss and bowled first and that decision turned out to be the wrong one as the Pride amassed 279-6 off their 50 overs thanks to half-centuries from openers Kyle Hope (69), Zachary McCaskie (51) and captain Shai Hope (50).

Shamar Springer provides some late fireworks with a 17-ball 41 including three fours and two sixes. Joshua James took 2-61 from 10 overs for the Academy.

Then, despite a well-made 50 from opener Keagan Simmons and 36 from Kevlon Anderson, the Academy were bowled out for just 197 in 44 overs as Carter starred with 5-30 off nine overs. Leg-spinner Javed Leacock provided good support as well with 3-63 from his 10 overs.

Barbados are now third in Zone B on 10 points and will need to beat the Leeward Islands Hurricanes on Sunday and hope that the Jamaica Scorpions lose to the West Indies Academy on Monday to have a chance of advancing to the semifinals.

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.

West Indies batsman Brandon King starred with 87 as the Jamaica Scorpions moved one step closer to the semi-finals by beating the Leeward Islands Hurricanes by four wickets in the CG Insurance Super50 Cup at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua on Friday.

Captain and wicket-keeper Jahmar Hamilton top-scored with 54 as the Hurricanes were bowled out for 207 in 48.5 overs after winning the toss and batting first.

The Leewards also got contributions from Terrence Ward (32) and Jeremiah Louis (31) as Dennis Bulli continued his excellent wicket-taking form with 3-46 from his 10 overs. Sheldon Cottrell, Peat Salmon and Nicholson Gordon took two wickets each for the Scorpions.

The Scorpions successful chase was then led by a 102-run opening partnership between King and Chadwick Walton who made 41. Captain Rovman Powell also made 27 not out as the Scorpions reached 182-6 from 36.5 overs. Jamaica’s target was adjusted to 179 off 40 overs after a rain delay during their reply. Left-arm spinner Daniel Doram took 2-16 off eight overs while left-arm quick Colin Archibald took 2-30 from the same amount.

The Leeward Islands still lead Zone B with 14 points from five games while the Scorpions now have 12, six more than the Barbados Pride and 10 more then the West Indies Academy. The Scorpions can book a place in the semi-finals with a win over the West Indies Academy on Monday.

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.

 India head coach Rahul Dravid has insisted the country does not want to end up in the same position as West Indies cricket following an unceremonious exit from the T20 World Cup, at the hands of England, on Wednesday.

The 2019 champions managed to muster very little resistance in the semi-final, where England cruised to a 10-wicket win after the East Asian team made 168 for 6.  The West Indies were themselves meekly dumped out of the tournament but after losing to two associate teams sotland and Ireland in the first round.

Performances at the tournament were not, however, what the former batting star was referring to, but instead the issue of India players potentially facing a disadvantage from not being allowed to play in other T20 league’s around the world.

For his part, the coach conceded that it might be a disadvantageous but believes it is a necessity to protect the quality of India’s cricket.

“There is no doubt that England players have come and played in this tournament(Big Bash T20).  It’s tough, it’s very difficult vor Indian cricket because a lot of these tournaments happen right at the peak of our season.  I think it’s a huge challenge for us.  A lot of our boys do miss out on the opportunity of playing in these leagues, but its up to the BCCI to make that decision,” Dravid said.

“And with the kind of demand there would be for Indian players… if you allowed them to play in these leagues, we won't have domestic cricket. Our domestic cricket, our Ranji Trophy would be finished, and that would mean Test cricket would be finished. We have to be very careful; we have to understand that Indian cricket faces or BCCI faces in a situation like this," he added.

“A lot of boys are asked to play leagues in the middle of our season, we have seen what it has done to West Indian cricket, and I definitely don't want Indian cricket to go that way. It would affect Ranji Trophy and Test cricket and Indian boys playing Test cricket is pretty important for the Test game as well, I would think,” Dravid said.

India captain Rohit Sharma admits his side failed to handle the pressure of knockout cricket as they lost by 10 wickets to England in the T20 World Cup semi-finals.

A record-breaking opening stand from captain Jos Buttler (80 not out) and Alex Hales (86 not out) saw the Group 2 winners shattered at the Adelaide Oval.

The pair's stand of 170 set a record for the highest partnership in T20 World Cup history, beating the 168 put on by South Africa duo Quinton de Kock and Rilee Rossouw against Bangladesh last month.

Rohit – a member of the India team that won the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2007, their only tournament triumph to date – admitted his side did not do themselves justice on the biggest stage in the end.

"When it comes to knockout stages, it is all about handling that pressure," he said. "You cannot really teach how to handle pressure.

"All these guys have played enough cricket to understand that. It's all about handling pressure and keeping calm.

"Look at the [group] stages, when we won that first game, we showed a lot of character. We handled it pretty well, [we] executed our plans.

"It's all about executing [that]. If you don't execute, you'll find yourself in trouble. It's really disappointing how we turned up.

"We were not good enough with the ball. It was not a wicket where a team should chase us down in 16 [or] 17 overs. We just didn't turn up."

England will now face Pakistan in Sunday's final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, while India will turn their attention to a red-ball tour of New Zealand, starting next week.

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.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Jahmar Hamilton's run-a-ball half century lifted the Leewards Islands to a 4-wicket win over the West Indies Academy in the CG INSURANCE SUPER50 CUP at North Sound on Wednesday.

Batting first, resilient lower order batting from Joshua James, who scored an in innings high 73 from 77, led the Windies Academy to 211 all-out after a few problems at the top order.  Middle order batsman Ackeem Auguste also made an important contribution.  Auguste added 44 from 53 deliveries after coming to the crease with the team struggling at 78 for 5.

Importantly, together James and Auguste added 78 for the 8^th wicket.  Spinner Kofi James was the leading bowler for the Leewards, after claiming figures of 4 for 39.

In response, Kieran Powell and Keacey Carty put 44 on the board for the third wicket, as they looked to recover from the early loss of Ross Powell in the second over.  Neither really carried on from good starts though, and the team also lost Terance Ward, for 12, when he was dismissed lbw by Nyeem Young.  Hamilton’s appearance at the crease, however, settled things and Leewards coasted to 213 for 6 with 23 balls remaining.  The batsman was just 9 runs short o a 7th irst lass hundred.  Joshua Bishop led the way with the ball for the West Indies Academy after picking up 2 for 29.