On this day back in 2019, the cricket world witnessed perhaps the most iconic ODI match ever. Led by Eoin Morgan, the England cricket team were crowned World Champions against New Zealand at Lord's, creating a spectacle that will be etched in the annals of cricket history. The match was nothing short of a breathtaking rollercoaster, and the final overs delivered some of the most dramatic moments imaginable. New Zealand won the toss and opted to bat first in this high-pressure encounter, posting a competitive total of 241/8 in their allotted 50 overs.
In pursuit of 242 runs, England were in a pickle when they were at 86/4 in the 24th over. This was when Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler got together and stitched a superb 110-run partnership that resurrected England's innings.
Just as England appeared to be cruising along, New Zealand fought back. They first dismissed Buttler for 59 and then kept chipping away at the wickets. England were at 227/8 in 49 overs. With 15 runs required off the final over, Stokes delivered a magnificent six off the third ball. He was then lucky when the ball inadvertently hit Stokes' bat and raced to the boundary for an additional six runs.
Now, England needed three runs off the last two balls and Trent Boult conceded just a couple while effecting two run outs. The match ended in a thrilling tie, leaving the crowd and players from both teams on edge.
In the super over, England scored 15 runs in their allocated six deliveries, courtesy of some big hits from Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler. New Zealand, in response, needed two runs off the final two balls. Jofra Archer hurled a near-perfect yorker, resulting in Martin Guptill squeezing the ball to deep square leg. Desperately attempting to complete a second run, Guptill fell short of his crease, leading to a tied super over.
However, England were declared the champions since they had hit more boundaries throughout the match (26 compared to New Zealand’s 17). Ian Smith, on air, famously said “England have won the match by the barest of margins.”
Check the epic encounter here:
Exactly 24 hours ago, England were crowned world champions, after the final to end all finals.
Re-live the greatest finish of all time, as you've never seen it before!#CWC19Final | #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/SHrgguTI75
— ICC (@ICC) July 15, 2019
