T20 World Cup 2026: England vs Nepal, Match 5 – Full highlights, top moments & winner details

England and Nepal served up one of the most gripping contests of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, with the Group C clash going right down to the wire and keeping fans on the edge of their seats till the very end. After electing to bat first, England piled up a formidable 184 for 7 in their 20 overs, giving Nepal a stiff chase on a wicket.

The Three Lions’ effort was built around a handful of high‑impact knocks from their batters. Jacob Bethell, who blazed a quick 55 off 35 balls, kept the scoreboard moving through the middle overs when wickets were falling at the other end. England’s captain Harry Brook, too, had a nice outing, who struck 53 off 32 balls. Brook’s crisp boundaries and knock ensured England didn’t lose the plot.

A late‑innings flourish by Will Jacks added the finishing touches. Unbeaten on 39 off 18 balls, he accelerated at the death, clearing the ropes, scoring few more important runs in the final few overs. That blitz pushed England well past the 180‑run mark, turning what could have been merely competitive into a challenging one for Nepal. Jos Buttler’s cameo of 26 off 17 also contributed to England’s upward surge.

From Nepal, Sher Malla took a wicket off his first-ever T20I ball, to dismiss dangerous Phil Salt. Dipendra Singh Airee and Nandan Yadav took two wickets each in their respective three overs. Whereas, Sandeep Lamicchane bowled impressively in his four overs.

In reply, Nepal produced a fearless chase, matching England blow for blow. Despite losing wickets at key moments, the associate side displayed composure and belief, with their batters attacking whenever opportunities presented themselves. England’s bowlers were forced to dig deep as Nepal kept the asking rate under control for most of the innings, turning the contest into a genuine nail-biter. 

The match ultimately swung on fine margins in the death overs, where Sam Curran managed to hold his nerve under immense pressure to edge past a spirited Nepal side. While England walked away with the points, Nepal earned widespread praise for pushing one of the tournament favourites to the limit in a high-quality thriller.

Nepal opener Kushal Bhurtel and their captain Rohit Paudel scored 29 and 39 respectively to give Nepal a flying start they wanted in a high-scoring chase. But the real star of their inning was Lokesh Bam, who scored 39 off just 20 balls, including four fours and two sixes. Dipendra Singh Airee, too scored an important knock of 44 runs.

But, in the end, it was too much for the emerging team as Liam Dawson and Curran’s impressive bowling proved to be game-changing. The left-arm spinner finished with an impressive figures, picking up two wickets, while giving away only 21 runs in his four overs.

Top Batting performance of the match- Jacob Bethell

England’s starboy Jacob Bethell had a brilliant run with the bat on his T20 World Cup debut. The left-hander came to the crease at a crucial phase after England lost Phil Salt early. He scored 55 runs off 35 balls at an impressive strike-rate of 157.14. His 71-run partnership with captain Harry Brook took England to a competitive total.

Top Bowling performance of the match- Sam Curran

It was a clinical performance with the ball by 2022 T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament Sam Curran. The left-armer finished his quota of four overs, giving away just 27 runs, while picking up a wicket. But, what made this spell special was his match-winning 20th over, defending just 10 runs.

Records Broken and Major Milestones Achieved

• Sher Malla took a wicket on his first-ever T20I delivery
• Malla became only the second ever Nepali bowler to achieve the feat
• Sher Malla is now 28th player overall to achieve this record

Who was the Player of the Match?

English all-rounder Will Jacks was named Player of the Match.