Mon 15 July 2019:
London – Ben Stokes is England’s hero, guiding them to a Super Over victory against New Zealand to win the 2019 Cricket World Cup final at Lord’s on Sunday. Not even the Super Over could separate the sides – they both scored 15 – but England are crowned champions by virtue of hitting more boundaries in their innings of 242 compared to New Zealand. It was, easily, the greatest World Cup final of all time and it is England’s first time coming out on top in four final attempts. Chasing 242 for victory, England were in a world of trouble at 86/4 before a 110-run partnership between Stokes (84*) and Jos Buttler (59) got them back on track.
Even then, though, New Zealand fought back and went into the final over defending 15. What transpired was something that you couldn’t make up if you tried. Stokes, who finished with a heroic 84*, was the man set and on strike, while Trent Boult was given the unenviable responsibility of bowling the over. After a massive Stokes six, England then needed 9 runs to win off 3 balls when, remarkably, Martin Guptill’s throw back to the ‘keeper’s end hit Stokes, who was returning for two, and flew to the fence for four bonus runs that looked to have won England the game and the tournament.
It was a heartbreaking moment for the Black Caps, who looked like they were on course to secure victory. England needed 3 off 2 and then 2 off 1 before the final ball saw Mark Wood run out, and the sides were tied on 241 apiece. Stokes and Buttler returned for the Super Over and bashed 15 runs together, leaving New Zealand needing 16 in their Super Over for what seemed an unlikely win at that stage. Jofra Archer was given the ball for England, while Jimmy Neesham and Martin Guptill were New Zealand’s batsmen.
Archer started with a wide and was then plastered over mid-wicket for six by Neesham. It was then Neesham and New Zealand who needed 3 off 2 as Lord’s held its collective breath. Neesham hit a single, and Guptill needed 2 off the last ball.
He hit it to deep midwicket and turned for 2, but he was run out at the ‘keeper’s end as England celebrated and New Zealand were left devastated. For the neutral, it was the perfect spectacle to end the tournament, with both sides always in the contest from start to finish. At different stages, both teams would have felt they had the upper hand, but England’s depth with the bat that got them over the line. When England were 86/4, New Zealand were ahead in the race and Lord’s was silenced, but by the end every run was being greeted by a deafening roar as the chance of English history grew stronger.
In the months leading up to the tournament, England had emerged as the best ODI side in the world, and they are fully deserving of a World Cup crown, even if it came in the most bizarre circumstances. England started as overwhelming favourites, but they would have been even more heavily fancied after restricting New Zealand to 241/8 from their 50 overs. New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson had surprised by winning the toss and opting to bat under overcast skies on what seemed a green wicket.
All of the top order batsmen got starts, but none could go on to play a knock of individual brilliance that would set the game up for the Kiwis. Opener Henry Nicholls top scored with 55 (77), while there were also valuable contributions from Tom Latham (47 off 56) and Williamson (30 off 53). It was Liam Plunkett (3/42 in 10) who was the pick of the English bowlers, picking up big wickets at key times whenever it looked like New Zealand were taking control of the game. The Black Caps would have felt that they were more than a few runs short, but their ability to strangle their way to defending low targets would have given them belief.
The underdogs thought they were off to the perfect start when Jason Roy looked to be trapped dead in front by a Trent Boult in-swinger, but South African umpire Marais Erasmus was unmoved. The Black Caps wasted no time in sending the decision upstairs, with DRS ruling an ‘umpire’s call’ on the ball clipping the leg stump. It was the second time in the game that an Erasmus decision had hurt New Zealand, with Ross Taylor (15) having earlier been given out LBW despite replays showing the ball sailing over the top of the stumps. Openers Roy and Jonny Bairstow then got going with a flurry of runs, and it began to look like England were away.
New Zealand were finally up and running when Matt Henry had Roy (17 off 20) removed with a beautifully angled delivery that shaped in before moving away late and brushing the outside edge. At 28/1, England knew they were in a contest once more. Henry and Boult continued asking the right questions, but Bairstow and Joe Root got through to 10 overs unscathed with the score at 39/1. One of the concerns for New Zealand was always going to be how their bowlers beyond Henry, Boult and speedster Lockie Ferguson went, but allrounder Colin de Grandhomme (1/25 in 10) was rewarded for some inch-perfect lines when he had a frustrated Root (7 off 30) caught behind when flashing at a wide one in an effort to get on with things.
It was the perfect example of pressure bringing wickets, and with England 60/2 after 17, the Black Caps were on the front foot. Things got worse for the hosts immediately after that, with Ferguson getting the key wicket of Bairstow (36 off 55), who dragged one onto his own stumps trying cut one that was too close. That made it 71/3, and Lord’s got noticeably quieter. Skipper Eoin Morgan then survived a few serious bouncers from Ferguson, and when allrounder Jimmy Neesham was brought into the attack, England’s leader looked for a release of pressure.
Instead, he clobbered Neesham’s first ball to Ferguson at deep point, with the Kiwi quick diving forward to complete a neat catch. It left England on 86/4 with Stokes and Buttler, more than capable, at the crease together. When England brought up their 100 in only the 28th over, they required more than a run a ball for victory. The Stokes/Buttler partnership looked to have gotten them over the line, but Ferguson got rid of Buttler and the Chris Woakes (2) in quick succession and the final was turned on its head. It will go down as one of cricket’s great days, and it hard to see how it can ever be topped.
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