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London, July 14
England won the Cricket World Cup for the first time after New Zealand matched their 15 in a Super Over but lost on fewer boundaries scored in the match after an extraordinary final at Lord’s was tied on Sunday.
England were all out for 241 on the last ball of the 50th over, chasing New Zealand’s 241 for eight.
England scored 14 in the last over but Mark Wood was run out seeking the second run that would have won it for the hosts.
Ben Stokes, who finished on 84 not out, came back for the Super Over with Jos Buttler amid scenes never before seen at the home of cricket.
New Zealand needed two off the last ball of Jofra Archer’s over but Martin Guptill was run out coming back for the second run and England triumphed due to hitting more boundaries on the day.
England, three-times runners-up previously, had bowled and fielded superbly to restrict 2015 runners-up New Zealand to 241-8, with Liam Plunkett and Chris Woakes each taking three wickets.
Henry Nicholls made 55 and Tom Latham 47 without ever really looking comfortable but the score began to look challenging as England slumped to 86-4 before Stokes and Buttler put on 110 to set up the amazing finale.
New Zealand post 241-8
New Zealand once again 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.
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 slightly shape in and he was caught plumb in-front.
Williamson and Nicholls, just like the India game, were 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. — Agencies
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