In arguably the best Cricket World Cup final ever, England edge out New Zealand in a nail-biting Super Over to be crowned champions
Ben Stokes
A great finish to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 as England emerge victorious in a nail-biting Super Over thriller. The match ended up going into the Super over where in New Zealand's Trent Boult was handed the responsibility to bowl what might have been possibly the most important over he might have ever bowled.
Conceding 15 runs in the same to the Stokes-Buttler duo, England's Jofra Archer had a competitive target to save. Martin Guptill and Neesham walked out to bat for the Black Caps and started off the over brilliantly but it wasn't enough as Jofra Archer's brilliant bowling display and composure in the final helped England seal the deal.
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Ben Stokes played a gem of an innings and gave it all for England. He and Jos Buttler stitched up a wonderful partnership for England in the crucial middle overs. and scored 15 runs in the final super over.
New Zealand's Lockie Ferguson had a great day with the ball as he picked up wickets at every important stage of the match and kept New Zealand in the hunt throughout England's innings. Colin de Grandhomme also bowled a very economical spell conceding a mere 25 runs in his full quota of 10 overs.
Earlier on, New Zealand once put up a modest batting performance under overcast conditions to post 241 for eight against a quality England pace attack that kept on asking probing questions in the World Cup final here Sunday.
Henry Nicholls (55 off 77 balls) and skipper Kane Williamson (30, 53 balls) added 74 runs for the second wicket after a fabulous first spell from Chris Woakes (3/37 in 9 overs) and Jofra Archer (1/42 in 10 overs) on a helpful Lord's track.
While Woakes had the best figures statistically, it was the tall Liam Plunkett (3/42 in 10 overs), who used the cross-seam variations effectively to stop the Black Caps on their tracks.
They would now be hoping that their pace bowlers use the conditions, as well as the England bowlers, did in the first half.
Only Tom Latham (47 off 56 balls) contributed in the middle overs in another mediocre effort from the New Zealanders on another big day.
Martin Guptill (19 off 18 balls) had started on a positive note but after surviving a caught behind appeal off Archer, he wasn't lucky the second time when Woakes got one to slight shape in and he was caught plumb in-front.
Williamson and Nicholls, just like the India game, we're trying to preserve their wicket with occasional boundaries. They were steady during their 16.2 over stand without being spectacular.
It was Plunkett, who got the all important wicket of Williamson when the New Zealand skipper tried to play away from his body and the nick was snapped by Buttler.
Plunkett then removed another set batsman Nicholls with a cross seam delivery that had the left-hander playing on while shaping up for a big shot.
After it became 118 for three from a comfortable 103 for one, New Zealand could never effectively force the pace. The England bowling had variations of every type ¿ Archer hurled it full and fast on the blockhole, Plunkett bowled back of the length and Woakes, who used his slower variations in the final overs, made life difficult for the New Zealand batsmen.
With Inputs from PTI
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