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“Agony for New Zealand, Ecstasy for England” – These were the words of popular commentator Ian Smith as the world witnessed one of the most dramatic ends to a game of cricket. The encounter in discussion is the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup final of 2019, which was held at the storied Lord’s Cricket Ground in London on July 10 where New Zealand faced England in a bid for first glory.
Both teams had never won an ODI World Cup before, and the moment was perfect as cricket was finally going to crown a new champion. Both sides gave more than their 100 per cent as the final scores at the end of both innings were tied, with England getting bundled out for 241 during their run chase in the ultimate contest.
Speaking of how the match started, the Black Caps batted first, with Henry Nicholls (55 off 77) providing a good platform. Experienced batter Kane Williamson was dismissed after a start and none of the batters could really hold the ground for long as England were assisted by tight spells from Chris Woakes (3 for 37) and Liam Plunkett (3 for 42), while Jofra Archer and Mark Wood also picked up one wicket each.
During the run chase, The Three Lions had lost four wickets for just 86 and with a few more runs to get, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler combined to stage a crucial 110-run stand for the fifth wicket. While Buttler was dismissed, Stokes accelerated and with a stroke of luck, got the English side extremely close to tasting success. However, destiny asked them to wait as a run out while attempting the second run when two were needed of the final ball meant that the match went into the Super Over.
England batted first in the Super Over and asked the Kiwis to chase 16 in their turn. However, one of the most bizarre moments unfolded, as New Zealand could post only 15 in their chance to make it through. While it is natural for someone to think that there should be another Super Over to decide the ultimate winner, the ICC Playing Conditions read something else.
According to the Playing Conditions of the 2019 World Cup, a team with a better boundary count would be adjudged the winner and that is exactly what happened. England had smashed 26 boundaries in their original innings, while New Zealand trailed a bit behind by 17 boundaries. As a result, England were awarded the match and their first-ever World Cup trophy. New Zealand, on the other hand, were left heartbroken despite giving it their all.
Jimmy Neesham, who faced the Super Over for New Zealand, famously wrote on his Twitter: “Kids, don’t take up sport. Take up baking or something. Die at 60 really fat and happy”.
The rule received widespread criticism from the pundits and fans alike. A few even questioned the boundary count ruling coming into play, citing that if England were the ones with more boundaries, New Zealand took more wickets than them (ten against eight). While in that moment, the rule favoured England, the International Cricket Council took a conscious call to defunct the rule and allowing innumerable Super Overs to decide the winner of the match.
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