New Zealand’s historic 1-run win over England

After much effort and several twists and turns, New Zealand has bagged a historic victory against England at Wellington. The New Zealand star and former captain of the New Zealand cricket team are now at the top of the world to have witnessed and played for this victory. This incredible 1-run win over England has proven that Cricket is a game that one must watch patiently because you never know when the next twist comes.

After defeating England by just 1 run, New Zealand has become the fourth country to have won the match. Earlier, India won Test Cricket once and England twice. This unique and unexpected win has indeed managed to glue Cricket lovers to the TV screen, and now it is easier to find more fans of Test Cricket.

From the beginning, England was leading faster towards winning the match. But on the last day, the opponent bounced back, and now without a doubt, the trophy has gone to the deserving team. England was chasing the target of 258 in the fourth innings. Now the result was quite clear. However, England crumbled to 5-80 after the performance of Joe Root and Ben Foakes. They each made ninety-five and thirty-five runs, making the game not-so-easy anymore.

Even though it seemed like victory awaited the England team, Ben Foakes and Root’s resistance could not be enough. The New Zealand team rolled through England’s lower order, changing the game’s direction.

New Zealand managed to score 483 in the third innings. But the former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson managed to make 132 runs. As classy as this score was, it was the biggest contribution to winning this Test Cricket. Even though the England team was commanding, four wickets were down very soon, and the match came to New Zealand’s hand quickly.

Tim Southee showed his tremendous skills and made Ollie Robinson depart the game. Southee’s next victim was Ben Duckett, who made 33 runs. These two departures greatly impacted the New Zealand and England game. The New Zealand team did not stop there. The real disappointing moments for the England team was when the England team’s hero of the first inning, Harry Brook, got out and Wagner ran out Ollie Pope from the game. Root caught Harry brook in a suicidal single, making it one of the milestones for the victory.

The game favouring the England team suddenly witnessed so many run-outs within a few minutes. Now the spectators had to be alert. While they were perhaps waiting to see who was getting the ball into the court, the players had to think of ways to make 178 runs to bag the victory trophy of the year. However, Root came with a steady mind. He and captain Ben Stokes could make 122 runs in their amazing partnership. It was another twist in the game when it seemed like the game was back in favour of the English.

After the lunch break, even Daryl Mitchell gave a strong fight, and soon after, Root got out before making his century in the game and departed just like Strokes did after missing a shot.

At last, Foakes got the chance to rescue his team. He kept batting with an immense consciousness, continuously rotating to ensure that Jack Leach remained at the end. When Mitchell Bracewell missed the ball rolling over his head, heading for the boundary, it gave Foakes another chance to remain in the game. Every wide ball got cheers and an equal amount of excitement in the stadium. By this time, England only needed seven runs to win the match. However, Southee was nowhere to stop. He came back on the field to get the game on their side. Now, his mission was to remove Foakes.

He caught Foakes at 35 runs. When Anderson provided a muscled pull shot at mid-wicket, England needed two more runs to win. But Wagner could not let this go. He made him depart from the game for 4 and made the last attempt to bag the victory trophy of Test Cricket that they were forced to follow on.

After the stunning victory of New Zealand, Ben Stroke has pointed out what it feels like to be a part of Test Cricket. “That game is what Test Cricket is about! The emotions we were going through and the Kiwi boys as well, everyone has got their money’s worth.” After winning Test Cricket twice, this English cricketer seems to be in the mood to appreciate the victory of the New Zealand team. But he also showed disappointment for losing by such a short margin. However, it seems like he is ready to be proud of their previous wins.

Tim Southee, who performed extremely well, looked tired and surprised at the victory. He appreciated Neil Wagner’s effort, which helped them win the game. “It is great for Test Cricket, the way England is Playing.” He added after he gave a small appreciation speech for Wagner.

“Only a handful of sides have returned from the follow-on to win. Once it digests, the guys will soak it up.” He added. Southee also applauded the other players for their calm attitude.

Harry Brook, the player of the series, said that he was just glad that he contributed to that stage of the game. “Looking at the pitch on the first day, we did not think it would last that long. In the end, it was a very good cricket wicket.” He also called the game “enjoyable” and closed his statement by calling the New Zealand team “fantastic.”

Kane Williamson, the man of the match, said it was a fantastic game to be a part of. He looked amazingly down to earth when he applauded the commendable performance of both teams. “For us as a team, we have been fighting away in the Test format for a while, so it is nice to get across the line on this one,” Williamson added.

The New Zealand team’s win in Test Cricket history has made it clear that twists and turns are integral to Test Cricket. This particular part of Cricket is what makes every team stronger than before.

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