England have stamped themselves cricket's white-ball kings after withstanding Pakistan's fearsome pace attack to win the T20 World Cup final by five wickets at the MCG.
Star all-rounder Ben Stokes once again proved himself the ultimate big-game player, steering England home with six balls to spare in the face of Pakistan's fast-bowling brilliance.
Stokes hit the winning run to finish unbeaten on 51 and ensure England claimed their second T20 World Cup title and first since 2010.
They are the first team to hold the ODI and T20 World Cups at the same time after their memorable win over New Zealand in the 2019 50-over final at Lord's.
Predicted rain failed to arrive and interrupt Sunday night's blockbuster decider as 80,462 fans turned out for a rematch of the 1992 ODI World Cup final at the same venue.
England were in the box-seat after captain Jos Buttler won the toss and elected to field first, restricting Pakistan to just 8-137.
An explosive spell from tearaway quick Haris Rauf threatened to put Pakistan back in the contest as he dismissed number three Phil Salt and Buttler in quick succession to have the MCG rocking.
Shaheen Afridi took a superb catch to dismiss Harry Brook and have England reeling at 4-84 but the star Pakistani quick hurt himself in the process and was unable to bowl his crucial remaining two overs.
Momentum swung back towards England when Afridi went off the field, as Stokes played the starring role just like he did in the ODI final three years ago.
Moeen Ali (19) played a vital cameo role with Stokes but was bowled within five runs of victory.
Earlier, left-arm seamer Sam Curran put in a crucial spell of 3-12 from his four overs, continuing an impressive tournament for the 24-year-old Englishman.
Curran was able to remove the composed Shan Masood, forcing the middle-order batter into a rash shot when caught on the boundary for 38.
He also claimed Mohammad Rizwan (15), bowling the explosive opener for England's first wicket of the match.
Legspinner Adil Rashid was equally influential, finishing with 2-22 including the vital wicket of Mohammad Haris with his first ball.
Rashid's next scalp was even more important, as he dismissed dangerous Pakistan captain Babar Azam (32) during an over that turned out to be a wicket-maiden.
Stokes endured a nervous start with the new ball, sending down a no-ball and a wide with the first two deliveries of the game.
But it was all England after that, silencing the pro-Pakistan crowd by taking regular wickets and limiting their ability to find the boundary.
England and Pakistan both took unchanged teams into the decider after peaking at the right end of the tournament.
Key England fast bowler Mark Wood (hip) and batter Dawid Malan (groin) were again left out after struggling with injury.
Despite a forecast of heavy showers and possible storms, rain did not disrupt the match.
See how the action unfolded in our live blog.
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Live updates
By Simon Smale
England are world champions
OK, we're going to wrap things up here.
Congratulations to England, who aside from a "blip" against Ireland, have been so superb in this form of the game over the last couple of years.
Deserving champions? You'd have to say so.
But let's not forget the role that Pakistan played.
Two narrow defeats in their opening two games but then, surged through to the final off the back of the best pace attack in world T20 cricket.
England though take the spoils and are now the standard bearers for white ball cricket.
They're setting the bar. It's time for others to step up and match them now.
Thanks for being with us this evening and throughout the tournament.
Good evening.
By Simon Smale
There are two side to every coin
Desperately sad for Pakistan, who could not quite get over the line after a superb second-half of the tournament.
By Simon Smale
Ben Stokes 'the ultimate competitor': Jos Buttler
"He's the ultimate competitor in anything he does," Buttler says.
"He's got a hell of a lot of experience to bank on as well, he can take a lot on his shoulders and at times you think it must be time for him to go and get us over that line so he timed it perfectly."
By Simon Smale
Jos Buttler: 'immensely proud'
"I'm just immensely proud of everyone here," he says.
He says the team has been through plenty of changes and that the side are "reaping the rewards" from the changes that were made over time.
"Matthew Mott's doing alright, isn't he?" he says.
"He's fitting in really well.
"We've got quite a few Australians with us this tournament.
"He gives the players great freedom."
He credits Adil Rashid's wicket maiden in the 12th over was key.
By Simon Smale
Congratulations to England: Babar Azam
Here's the Pakistan skipper, Babar Azam.
"First of all, congratulations to England, they deserved to be champion," he says.
He said it felt like being at home such was the support throughout all their matches.
"The way this team has played in the last four matches is incredible and all credit to my team."
He says he told his players to be free to play their own game and they were just a few runs short.
"Our bowling is one of the best attacks in the world," he says.
He notes that Shaheen's injury is just part of the game.
By Simon Smale
Sam Curran is player of the tournament
A panel and public vote has chosen Sam Curran as player of the tournament too.
"I'm a little bit lost for words," he says.
By Simon Smale
Sam Curran is player of the match
He took 3-12.
"I don't think I should be getting this," he says.
"The way Stokesy played there, to get a fifty in a final, he does it so many times for us.
"It's very special ... World champions, how good?!"
Curran is asked about how Stokes, who bowled the final over the last time England were in a T20 World Cup final and got bashed around as England lost to the West Indies, will be feeling after this match-winning performance.
"I think he's someone I've always looked up to, he always turns up when the team needs him.
"People question him but there's no questioning him, he's unbelievable."
By Simon Smale
Alex Hales: 'It's an incredibly special feeling'
Alex Hales, who missed the last world cup triumph after being kicked off the squad for off field issues, seems relieved.
"I definitely didn't think it would come around again," Hales says.
"It's an incredibly special feeling.
The last six or eight weeks have been incredible, being back involved and this is the icing on the cake."
By Simon Smale
Terrific contest, wasn't it
Wow! what a game - worthy of a WC final. Congratulations England.
- Mike
By Simon Smale
Bowlers won us the game: Ben Stokes
England's hero Ben Stokes is speaking.
"I think in finals, especially chasing probably you forget all that hard work before that," he says.
"I thought the way that we bowled ... especially Adil Rashid and Sam Curran, that's what won us the game."
He says the Ireland result was put behind them and just a blip and that the best teams move on from set backs.
Adam Gilchrist is asking the questions, he asks how it compares to Lord's in 2019.
"Representing your country, World Cups, it's amazing, but this has been a good one."
By Simon Smale
The occasion played a role in the nerves: Woakes
Chris Woakes is still speaking.
"I think the wicket offered a little bit to the quick bowler," he says.
"But I think the occasion plays into that as well.
"Generally it's probably a 160 pitch but the occasion gets the better of people and rightly so."
By Simon Smale
England prove how good they are: Brook
Harry Brook is speaking to Michael Atherton
"So good. So good," he says.
"I always thought we were going to win it and we've shown the world how good we are tonight.
"It was a phenomenal day," he adds.
Chris Woakes says it's "amazing".
By Simon Smale
England wins the World Cup
Ben Stokes is the King of clutch!
A fifty in the World Cup final. A staggering innings under the most impossible pressure.
England are the best white ball team in the world. Again!
The first men's team to hold both the 50-over and 20-over World Cup titles at the same time.
Incredible.
By Simon Smale
19th over - Wasim to bowl his last four
Liam Livingstone gets off strike with a single to mid off.
FOUR! Beautifully timed from Stokes, to deep extra cover, the dive is good, but it can 't stop the runs.
FIFTY FOR BEN STOKES
He truly is the hero England needs at every crucial moment isn't he. Has there ever been a player involved in so much greatness?
England need one run.
Stokes swings and misses.
He'll want to finish it.
HE DOES FINISH IT!
By Simon Smale
BOWLED HIM! MOEEN ALI CAN'T DIG OUT THE YORKER!
It's an inside edge onto the stumps, a brilliant yorker from Wasi claims Moeen Ali for 19 off 13.
A good cameo for England there.
ENG 5-132, need 6 off 10
By Simon Smale
19th over - Wasim to bowl the penultimate over
Stokes mishits onto his pads and they'll run a very sharp single.
By Simon Smale
18th over - Rauf continues
Stokes drops and runs, Just a single to square leg. England need nothing more than that.
Ali drives to mid off, another single scored.
Stokes cuts for two! It's two but it's going to be close at the non-strikers end! The throw misses! Moeen may have been run out there if the throw was better.
Stokes gets one on the hand. He wages his hand in pain. Hit his bottom thumb there.
Bouncer, a good one, at pace. Nothing doing there.
Stokes clips a single to retain the strike.
ENG 4-131, need 7 off 13
By Simon Smale
17th over - Wasim comes back
FOUR! Moeen Ali comes to the party! Over cover for four!
FOUR MORE! HOOKED TO FINE LEG! There's no fielder there and that's superb shot! The momentum has turned again!
A single now.
Stokes hooks backward of square for a couple.
The air has been sucked out of the MCG as Pakistan's fans look on with worry etched on their faces.
A single down to long on now.
FOUR! Top edge from Moeen Ali and the equations simplifies for England!
ENG 4-126, need 12 off 18. PAK were 5-122
By Simon Smale
16th over - Iftikhar Ahmed is going to take over
Ali pushes to mid wicket for a single.
"CATCH IT!" is the call! Stokes turned, but the ball falls just short of long off! Drama. They run one.
Ali chips it to mid on for a single.
FOUR! Stokes powers the ball through wide mid off and it has been smashed to the boundary rope.
SIX! OVER LONG ON THIS TIME! MASSIVE FROM STOKES! He is the definition of clutch! He could have been out, but instead he's taking the risk to pull down that required rate.
