England triumph over New Zealand to win ICC Cricket World Cup 2019

For those privileged enough to have been able to watch the match at Lord’s, Fanzones in eight city centres and cricket clubs spread throughout England and Wales, witnessed the greatest World Cup final of all-time and one of the most definingly memorable moments in British sporting history.

As spectators poured out of London’s St John’s Wood station on the morning of Sunday 14th of July heading towards Lord’s Cricket Ground, they were welcomed by drummers, jugglers and dancers on roller skates.

Once inside the ground, they were treated to parachutists landing on the Nursery Ground before that tingling expectation and surge of emotion brought on by the national anthems. This was the day that English cricket had been working for, over the past four years since their catastrophic first-round exit in the last World Cup.

New Zealand won the toss and decided to bat, opting for a total built from patient perseverance. Martin Gupthill who had been out of sorts throughout the group stages was trapped lbw for 19 in the seventh over by a cunning delivery from Woakes and a fizzer from Liam Plunkett removed captain dangerman Kane Williamson, caught behind, for by his standards a miserly 30. However, Henry Nicholls with a dogged 55, and 47 tenacious runs from Tom Latham, held the side together confronted with some searching England bowling. Plunkett then clean bowled Nicholls in the 27th over, Woakes went on to first tempt Colin de Grandhomme into an easy catch on 16, followed by the wicket of Latham who mistimed a shot which Root caught with ease.

Sticky start for England

However, the value accrued from the Black Caps’ careful  approach to reaching their final score of 241 for 8, rapidly became apparent when it came to England’s turn to bat on a tricky surface.

Suddenly England were on the brink of being out of the game at 86 for 4, caught in the jaws of a vice created by New Zealand’s fluent bowling, pinpoint fielding and intelligent tactics.

Matt Henry had Roy caught behind for a paltry 17, the frugal Colin de Grandhomme lured Joe Root to a similar fate for ten less, Lockie Ferguson pushed Jonny Bairstow to play on having made a promising 36, he then gathered a glorious catch to dismiss Eoin Morgan at deep point for 9.

Yet little by little, the hosts were pulled back into contention by the skills of Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler, both calmly concise, playing with patience, and with a modicum of good fortune running their way.

Buttler was the most elegant of the pair, scooping and driving with style, however when he managed to hole out, caught at deep point for 59, England still needed big-hitting capability with 46 required from 31 balls.

Enter Stokes the titan taking control, a man  emerging from three horrible years which had included  giving away four sixes bowling the last over in England’s 2016 World T20 final defeat and being judged not guilty of affray only 11 months earlier.

A setback, Trent Boult somehow hung on to a hard hit boundary shot from Liam Plunkett in an astonishing take at long-off, as Neesham bowled the 49th over. Then a less coordinated Boult managed to drag the ball over the boundary for six as Stokes went big, before Archer was bowled.

Another 15 needed from Boult’s final set of six. Two dot balls, followed by an anything-goes heave by Stoke’s over deep mid-wicket, then came an almost Shakespearian moment of outrageous fortune.

As Stokes dived for his ground bat-first to validate a second run and avoid the run out, his bat was inadvertently struck by a shy at the stumps which deflected the ball for four overthrows, amounting  overall, according to the rulebook, to a total of six runs from the single.

But the final twist, with three runs needed from two balls, Adil Rashid was run out on his way back to the striker’s end trying to turn a single into two. Mark Wood too went the same way, dashing in search of a second run off the final ball to win, and the match was tied.

England 241 all out with Stokes unbeaten on 84 – sport at its most dramatic – the first tie in a World Cup final ever. Yet nothing compared to the emotion of the final two extra overs that followed to decide the title.

The Extra Overs 

It was a beautiful sunny evening, the home crowd, now at fever pitch, were roaring their heroes on and even sang “Sweet Caroline” at the interchange.

Stokes and Buttler strode to the crease to face the first super over against New Zealand’s nominated bowler Trent Boult. Stokes was still focused and produced a knock of 8 runs, including a four from three balls, while Buttler ended on 7, also including a four, in 3 balls. And so it was a final score of 15 for the Black Caps to beat.

When New Zealand replied, Jimmy Neesham was in fine form hitting Jofra Archer’s second ball for six, and had scored 13 off 5 balls leaving Martin Guptill needing two from the last delivery. He was forced to scramble madly for his second run, but Jason Roy’s superb throw from deep mid-wicket overtook the diving Guptill, whose bat was visibly short of the line when Buttler whipped off the bails, sending the England team and the whole of Lord’s into rapturous celebration.

Now a tied decider at 15 each, but England had won the game based on an ultimate tie-breaker criteria of boundaries scored (fours and sixes) during the entire match. They were crowned world champions accordingly with 26 boundaries against New Zealand’s 17, but for the Black Caps a cruel way to lose such a wonderfully competitive match.  

Nonetheless, as expected, the stadium erupted when England sealed victory, the noise deafening as the trophy was held aloft, and the crowd and Barmy Army were justifiably able to sing, “It’s coming home, it’s coming…. Cricket’s coming home.”