Black Caps demonstrated how to be glorious in defeat
They had victory within their grasp but were left to rue their luck, reports Tim Wigmore at Lord’s
For a few split seconds, New Zealand have won the World Cup. Trent Boult, one of the best boundary-catchers in world cricket, has snaffled Ben Stokes on the boundary rope. That means that England need 22 from eight balls, and have only two wickets left. Only, now they don’t: in his delirium, Boult did not toss away the ball before reaching the boundary rope.
A couple of minutes later, Boult can scent instant redemption. His first two balls are almost immaculate yorkers. After Ben Stokes creams a six, and then runs back for two, the equation is down
to seven runs from two balls, a position from which New Zealand can still be considered slight favourites. For a few split seconds only: impossibly, the ball then ricochets off Stokes for four.
In the bedlam of the super over, as England concede a wide and then fumble a ball in the outfield, New Zealand navigate themselves, again, into a position from which it seems they have won, needing just three from the final two balls. But James Neesham and Martin Guptill cannot make clean contact with Jofra Archer – and their World Cup dream dies in the seconds it takes between Jason Roy picking up the ball at deep midwicket and Jos Buttler dislodging the bails. In the almost unspeakable cruelty of this moment, New Zealand’s World Cup dream dies.
All tournament long, New Zealand – rugged, resourceful, tenacious, nice guys and easily patronised New Zealand – have specialised in winning moments like this. Against South Africa, Kane Williamson hit a last-over six. Against West Indies, Boult’s catch just inside the boundary rope dismissed a rampant Carlos Brathwaite; had Boult touched the rope, New Zealand would have lost. And in the epic semi-final toppling of India, New Zealand defended 239 with zeal, and then Guptill’s run-out stymied MS Dhoni in the penultimate over.
For vast portions of New Zealand’s totals against India and England in the semi-final and final – respectively, a run under 240 and a run over 240 – the consensus is that New Zealand are sleepwalking to defeat. This reckons without Williamson’s sagacity in judging pitches and the potency of New Zealand’s bowling attack.
The top seven in the order all make at least 15, with Henry Nicholls and Tom Latham, both horribly out of form, being the top two scorers. Trent Boult, anointed as the bowler most likely to win New Zealand the World Cup, fails to take a wicket – but the rest of the attack perform to their best, with Colin de Grandhomme’s gentle away-swingers yielding just 25 from 10 overs. And there is another catch for the ages, from Lockie Ferguson at deep point.
In those split seconds when they can taste victory, this seems like not merely New Zealand cricket’s greatest day, but one to recalibrate the image of the country’s cricket. Not just the nice guys and overachievers – but also winners on cricket’s grandest stage.
But there is still glory in their journey, reaffirmed by the quiet dignity with which they accept their unfathomable bad luck and even more unfathomable defeat.
Somehow, they have lost – but the way in which they have done so has enriched the final, the tournament and their sport.