England have recorded a 93-run victory over Pakistan at Eden Gardens to end their dismal Cricket World Cup on a high.
Before the tournament, the defending champions had been hoping that this fixture would not be their last, but it turned out to be a significant match for unexpected reasons.
Such has been the level of England's below-par showings that a win was required on Saturday to secure an automatic spot in the 2025 Champions Trophy.
However, England were able to make relatively light work of their opponents, making 337-9 with the bat before dismissing Pakistan for 244 in 43.3 overs.
The tone was set by Dawid Malan (31) and Jonny Bairstow (59) putting on 82 for the first wicket, and although they were dismissed soon afterwards, it allowed Joe Root and Ben Stokes to come to the crease.
They put on 132 in 21.1 overs to establish a firm foothold in the game, with Root making a morale-boosting 60 and Stoke capitalising on being dropped early in his innings to post 84 from 76 balls.
Although the innings petered out to a certain degree, Jos Buttler (27), Harry Brook (30) and David Willey (15 in five balls) all chipped in to take England to 337 from their 50 overs.
Pakistan were highly unlikely to chase that down once Abdullah Shafique departed for a second-ball duck and fellow opener Fakhar Zaman made just one.
What a day for David Willey! 🔥🏴 pic.twitter.com/uScsobctVu
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) November 11, 2023
David Willey, in his final international game, took both wickets, and while Babar Azam (38), Mohammad Rizwan (36), Saud Shakeel (29) and Agha Salman (51) all made contributions, Pakistan were reduced to 150-7.
Their tail wagged with Shaheen Shah Afridi (25), Mohammad Wasim (16*) and Haris Rauf (35) hitting eight four and five sixes between them, but England's bowling attack impressed.
Willey departs the national team setup with 3-56, while Gus Atkinson (2-45), Adil Rashid (2-55) and Moeen Ali (2-60) also helped ensure that England finished seventh in the table, with Pakistan ending a solid tournament in fifth position.
