Pakistan Wins First Match of WCL 2025 by 5 Runs Against England

Sports News: The World Championship of Legends 2025, hosted by the England and Wales Cricket Board, began on Friday. In the opening game, Pakistan Champions defeated England Legends by 5 runs in a close and exciting match. This victory gave Pakistan a great beginning in the tournament.

Pakistan Bats First and Scores 160

After losing the toss, Pakistan came in to bat. Their start wasn’t great. Opener Sharjeel Khan made only 12 runs from 15 balls and got out in the fourth over. Shortly after, Kamran Akmal also got out for just 8 runs.

The middle order didn’t do well either. Umar Amin scored only 6 runs, and Shoaib Malik could make just 1 run from 5 balls. Asif Ali tried to score quickly and made 15 runs in 13 balls but couldn’t stay on the field for long.

Nah batting Howe nah Keeping 🙂
Bas geo pai beth Kai lecture howee 🫠#WCL2025 #PakistanCricket pic.twitter.com/O3Jn9FUwbS

— 𝐌𝐮𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐝 س𝐚𝐚𝐝 🇵🇰 (@saadhere_56) July 18, 2025

The main support came from Captain Mohammad Hafeez, who played a brilliant innings. He made 54 runs in just 34 balls, including 8 boundaries. His quick scoring helped Pakistan build a decent total.

In the last few overs, Sohail Tanvir scored a quick 17 from 11 balls, while Sohail Khan chipped in with 8 runs off just 5 deliveries. Their late contributions helped Pakistan finish at 160 runs by the end of 20 overs. For England, Liam Plunkett and Chris Tremlett stood out with the ball, claiming 2 wickets each.

England Tries Hard but Falls Short

England needed 161 runs to win. Their opening wasn’t very strong. Alastair Cook made only 7 runs from 15 balls, and James Vince also got out early after scoring 7 runs in 9 balls. After the early wickets, Phil Mustard and Ian Bell helped England get back in the game. Mustard scored 58 runs in 51 balls, hitting 8 boundaries, while Ian Bell played well for 51 runs off 35 balls.

Captain Eoin Morgan tried to score fast at the end and remained not out with 16 runs from 12 balls, but it wasn’t enough. England could only reach 155 runs, just 5 runs short of the target. For Pakistan, Sohail Tanvir, Aamir Yamin, and Rumman Raees took 1 wicket each, slowing down England’s scoring in the final overs.

Pakistan’s strong bowling at the end and Hafeez’s captain’s knock made the difference. The tournament has begun with a thrilling match, setting the stage for more exciting games ahead!