How England went from Ireland humiliation to T20 World Cup glory

England were crowned T20 World Cup champions after a nail-biting five-wicket win over Pakistan as Ben Stokes delivered in the fiercest of pressure situations at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at how England performed throughout the tournament.

A clinical display with the ball set England up for a winning start in Perth, with the Afghans bowled in the final over for an under-powered 112. But the chance to deliver a big statement, and build a formidable net run-rate, was squandered as their explosive top order came over unusually coy. They eventually got over the line with 11 balls to spare thanks to Liam Livingstone’s 29 not out, but it was a flat batting effort.

A famous win for the boys in green and a stark reminder to England that they would need to raise their game to avoid an early exit. The bowlers claimed all 10 wickets again, keeping the Irish to a gettable 157 but Jos Buttler, Alex Hales and Ben Stokes all fell in the powerplay as the chase set off on rocky ground. With rain around the middle order was too slow to push the accelerator and a couple of late blows from Moeen Ali were not enough to catch up when the weather ended things early.

More rain in Melbourne ensured no play was possible and the points shared between the Ashes rivals.

With victory sorely needed, Jos Buttler took things into his own hands. He won the toss, decided to put himself straight into centre stage and cracked a match-winning 73 in a decisive opening stand with Alex Hales (52). Trent Boult and Tim Southee were tamed but England’s seamers fared better, with Chris Woakes setting the tone and Sam Curran continuing his eye-catching tournament.

England arrived at the SCG for a reunion with former head coach Chris Silverwood knowing any kind of victory would bank them a place in the last four, and knock hosts Australia out of their own competition. The chasing jitters came back again to make it a close finish – squeezing past their target of 142 with just two balls remaining – but three wickets for Mark Wood, a bright cameo from Hales and Stokes’ unflappable work as the finisher put the points in the bag.

An unforgettable performance, a brutal margin and a statement of real intent. Despite missing the raw pace of Wood, England’s bowlers kept India’s top order firmly in check before Hardik Pandya bludgeoned his team to a seemingly competitive 168 but England’s openers silenced a heavily-partisan crowd with a record-breaking and unbroken stand of 170. Buttler and Hales were utterly dominant, sealing a thrilling victory with four full overs still to be bowled.

On a bowler-friendly pitch, Stokes anchored a chase of 138 with an over to spare with 52 not out from 49 balls as England became the first men’s side to hold ODI and T20 World Cups simultaneously. England’s 2019 50-over World Cup hero had moments of fortune en route to his first T20 half-century in front of an 80,462-crowd, overwhelmingly made up of spellbound and lively Pakistan fans. But Stokes banished memories of the 2016 final in stunning fashion, retaining his composure despite the tricky surface and a vaunted Pakistan attack.