 "T20 World Cup: England beat Pakistan by six wickets in their final warm-up game")
England outclassed Pakistan by six wickets in their final T20 World Cup practice match on Monday at the Gabba. Ben Stokes smashed 36 off just 18 balls before Harry Brook (45 off 24) and Sam Curran (33 off 14) chipped in with unbeaten cameos to complete the 161-run chase in 14.4 overs in a match reduced to 19 overs each due to rain. Phil Salt was given the opportunity to open alongside Alex Hales, but was bowled by Naseem Shah for one, while Hales only managed nine. Liam Livingstone also returned from an ankle injury suffered in The Hundred, hitting 28 off 16 and taking 1-8. Livingstone was dismissed by Mohammad Wasim Jnr, who ended the match with two wickets in his kitty. Also, Shadab Khan picked a wicket, but returning Shaheen Afridi remained wicket-less.
Earlier, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan watched on from the sidelines as Shan Masood ensured Pakistan got off to a good start with 39 from 22 balls. However, the Men in Green lost their way after the powerplay as from 67 for 1 after 6.2 overs, they slumped to 124 for 6 eight-and-a-half overs later, and only late impetus from Mohammad Wasim Jnr (26 off 16 balls), pushed the required rate in the chase above eight runs per over. Interestingly, England used eight bowlers, with Stokes (1-25) again given the new ball, while Sam Curran (1-14), Chris Jordan (1-36), and David Willey (2-22) were also in the wickets. Notably, only Chris Jordan completed his four-over quota. Meanwhile, skipper Jos Buttler was particularly happy with the return of Liam Livingstone (ankle) and Chris Jordan (finger) from injuries. “It’s great to see Liam Livingstone back on the field after a significant injury, and get four overs from Chris Jordan as well,” Buttler said after the match. “We tried a few different things that guys were wanting to experiment with and this is the perfect time to try and do that.” England will open their T20 World Cup campaign against Afghanistan on 22 October, while Pakistan will lock horns with India in their first game of the tournament on 23 October.
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