[New post] England become victims of Test match history – and Ben Stokes was ‘thankful’ to be involved in New Zealand classic
Sean O'Brien posted: " England lost to New Zealand by one run in an unbelievable finish to the final Test on Tuesday. For only the second time in 146 years of Test match history, the game was decided by a solitary run after last man James Anderson was caught down t" talkSPORT
England lost to New Zealand by one run in an unbelievable finish to the final Test on Tuesday.
For only the second time in 146 years of Test match history, the game was decided by a solitary run after last man James Anderson was caught down the leg side off Neil Wagner's bowling.
England and New Zealand delivered another classicIt was the most agonising defeat for England
In a thrilling encounter, England surrended total control after enforcing the follow-on with a 226-run lead after the first innings.
The resurgent Kiwis set 258 to win and reduced the tourists to 80-5 when star man Harry Brook was run-out for a duck without facing a ball.
Joe Root and Ben Stokes restored hope and guided England to 201-5, but another collapse left them needing 43 to win with two wickets in hand.
Ben Foakes and Jack Leach put on a brave 36-run partnership, before the former was dismissed with England needing seven to win.
Anderson arrived at the crease and remarkably clubbed his second ball to the boundary, putting Stokes' men on the brink.
Wagner's penultimate ball was perilously close to a wide, which would've tied the match, but his last delivery found the faintest of edges.
The series finished 1-1
Australia's defeat to the West Indies by one run in 1993 is the only other occasion a team has won a Test match by the narrowest possible margin.
England also become only the fourth team to lose after enforcing the follow-on, sharing more unwanted history with the Aussies, who were responsible for the other three occasions.
It was also a small slice of revenge for New Zealand, who famously lost the 2019 ODI World Cup to England in a super over.
However, despite failing to secure a historic series victory in New Zealand and a seventh-consecutive Test match victory, captain Stokes was just happy to be part of such a magical encounter.
"That is what you play Test cricket for, to be in those moments. To be a part of that was amazing," he said.
"What a game, it was crazy. If you can't look back at that Test match, even in our dressing room on the losing side, and just be quite thankful that you've been involved in a game like that…when can you?
"Test matches like that don't happen that often, they don't come around that often. You have to lose games to really appreciate how good it is to actually win. And, if you are going to lose games, you'd like to be involved in a game like that instead of losing by 200 runs or whatever. It might sound daft because you've gone so close, but I just think everyone is appreciating this week for what it is.
"That doesn't mean for a second we're not fussed about winning or losing. We love winning, but if it doesn't work out that way, we'll hold our hands up and say the opposition were better than us."
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