SAM'S REMIND GAMES

Curran learned from big Ben battering

- DAVID CHARLESWORTH

SAM CURRAN revealed how his mind drifted back to Ben Stokes and the 2016 T20 World Cup final before his last-over heroics rescued England from humiliation.

After the Ashes debacle and Harry Brook's off-field drama, England's miserable winter threatened to take another downturn as minnows Nepal required just 10 off the last six balls to claim a shock win, when at one stage in the match they needed 54 from 21 balls.

But Curran, thinking about Stokes being thumped for four successive sixes by Carlos Brathwaite in the final over as the West Indies snatched a famous victory a decade ago, held his nerve by nailing his lines and lengths.

Roared on by thousands of Nepalese fans at a raucous Wankhede Stadium, Lokesh Bam had to hit a six off the last ball after being frustrated by Curran but could only hit a single as England won by four runs.

Curran said: "I said to Brook 'I'm backing six yorkers here and I'll take the hit if I don't execute.