Pakistan Edge Out England by 5 Runs in Thrilling WCL Opener
Pakistan Champions pulled off a nail-biting 5-run victory over England Champions in the inaugural match of WCL 2025 at Edgbaston. After winning the toss, England chose to field, but Pakistan’s spirited bowling held their nerve to defend a competitive total. Let’s dive into the full match recap.
🕑 Toss & Playing XIs
- Toss: England Champions (Eoin Morgan, captain) elected to field.
- Pakistan Champions XI: Hafeez (c), Kamran Akmal (wk), Sharjeel Khan, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Sohaib Maqsood*, Aamer Yamin, Sohail Khan, Rumman Raees, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz. (*Impact Sub)
- England Champions XI: Morgan (c), Cook, Bell, Vince, Mustard (wk), Ambrose, Sidebottom, Meaker, Tremlett, Plunkett, Mascarenhas.
🏏 Pakistan Champions Batting
Pakistan posted 160/9 in 20 overs, thanks to belligerent hitting in the death overs, notably from Aamer Yamin and Sohail Tanvir.
📋 Pakistan Champions Batting Scorecard
| Batsman | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kamran Akmal | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 40.0 |
| Sharjeel Khan | 17 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 141.7 |
| Mohammad Hafeez | 54 | 34 | 6 | 1 | 158.8 |
| Umar Amin | 12 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 120.0 |
| Shoaib Malik | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Asif Ali | 9 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 128.6 |
| Aamer Yamin | 27* | 13 | 2 | 2 | 207.7 |
| Sohail Tanvir | 17 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 154.5 |
| Rumman Raees | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100.0 |
| Wahab Riaz | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0 |
| Sohail Khan | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50.0 |
| Extras | 15 | ||||
| Total | 160/9 (20.0 Overs) | ||||
🎯 England Champions Bowling Scorecard
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liam Plunkett | 4.0 | 28 | 2 | 7.00 |
| Chris Tremlett | 4.0 | 36 | 2 | 9.00 |
| Dimitri Mascarenhas | 4.0 | 30 | 1 | 7.50 |
| Ryan Sidebottom | 3.0 | 18 | 1 | 6.00 |
| Stuart Meaker | 4.0 | 34 | 1 | 8.50 |
| James Vince | 1.0 | 12 | 1 | 12.00 |
🏏 England Champions Batting Scorecard
| Batsman | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Mustard | 58 | 51 | 8 | 0 | 113.7 |
| Ian Bell | 51* | 35 | 5 | 2 | 145.7 |
| Eoin Morgan | 16* | 12 | 0 | 1 | 133.3 |
| Alastair Cook | 12 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 70.6 |
| James Vince | 7 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 77.8 |
| Extras | 12 | ||||
| Total | 155/3 (20 Overs) | ||||
🏏 England Champions Batting Scorecard
| Batsman | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Mustard | 58 | 51 | 8 | 0 | 113.7 |
| Alastair Cook | 12 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 70.6 |
| Ian Bell | 51* | 35 | 5 | 2 | 145.7 |
| James Vince | 7 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 77.8 |
| Eoin Morgan | 16* | 12 | 0 | 1 | 133.3 |
| Tim Ambrose (wk) | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 60.0 |
| Stuart Meaker | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 33.3 |
| Chris Tremlett | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Liam Plunkett | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Ryan Sidebottom | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 50.0 |
| Dimitri Mascarenhas | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Extras | 12 | ||||
| Total | 155/9 (20.0 Overs) | ||||
🎯 Pakistan Champions Bowling Scorecard
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sohail Khan | 4.0 | 21 | 1 | 5.25 |
| Rumman Raees | 4.0 | 14 | 1 | 3.50 |
| Sohail Tanvir | 4.0 | 27 | 1 | 6.75 |
| Wahab Riaz | 3.0 | 27 | 0 | 9.00 |
| Aamer Yamin | 4.0 | 27 | 0 | 6.75 |
| Mohammad Hafeez | 1.0 | 7 | 0 | 7.00 |
🌟 Key Moments & Player of the Match
- Mohammad Hafeez (54 off 34) anchored Pakistan’s innings and earned Man of the Match.
- Phil Mustard’s 58 revived England’s chase before Tanvir’s spell changed the game.
- Sohail Khan’s death-overs bowling cemented Pakistan’s win, defended 11 runs under high pressure.
- Final over drama: England needed 5 off the final ball, but Tanvir’s yorker hissed through.
🎉 Match Verdict
Pakistan Champions started strong, but England fought back valiantly. Pakistan’s bowling depth edged them past the finish line. They now top the WCL 2025 standings and set the bar for the tournament.