England became the fourth team in Test history to lose after running a follow-on, with New Zealand's Neil Wagner sacking last man James Anderson to take a memorable one-run victory in Wellington.
.jpg "New Zealand beat England by one run") |
| New Zealand beat England by one run |
In what was sure to be one of the most gripping matches in the grand old format, England stumbled over the touchline and Anderson knocked Wagner on the leg to leave England chasing 258 for 256.
It was the astonishing conclusion of the proceedings that Ben
Stokes' men joined the Australian classes of 1894, 1981, and 2001 as the only
teams to suffer defeat after sending their opponents straight back to the
battlefield.
Stokes made the decision after building a 226-run lead in the
first inning but lost control of the game as the Blackcaps pushed the game deep
into the fifth with brilliant determination.
England hoped to win the game several times as Joe Root (95)
led with Stokes on 121 and when Ben Foakes scored 33 they were reduced to seven
points. But New Zealand refused to lay down and fought relentlessly to bring
the game to a heartbreaking end.
Wagner was the hero, shooting four for 62, dismissing Stokes
and Root in the space of four balls, and then showing steely guts to let
Anderson caught behind in a situation where a misjudgment could have cost him
everything. He also prepared a heavy catch against Foakes just as the Surrey
gloveman seemed to be moving past the drama.
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.jpg "Wagner was the hero, shooting four for 62, dismissing Stokes and Root") |
| Wagner was the hero, shooting four for 62, dismissing Stokes and Root |
It was only England's second defeat in 12 games under Stokes and manager Brendon McCallum, and like almost everything they've done since taking office, it came stunningly. The seeds of England's failure were sown at the top with some deliberate and loose dismissals, but they were all but saved by Foakes and Leach.
It took 43 as they came together and kept the ball firmly in
New Zealand's field, but Foakes excelled at defending attacks and cutting into
the goal.
Leach was delighted to reprise the role he made famous in
Headingley at the 2019 Ashes as his 17 clean sheets gave Stokes a stunning win.
Foakes took a more solid approach to things as he turned the
required run into a single number and if he made a mistake it was a big hit
that dragged Southee down.
When Anderson's thin line broke the thick atmosphere to leave
a draw and two winners, everyone on the pitch knew the result was just one goal
away.
The ball fell to the New Zealand side, barely allowing
Anderson to drag himself off the crease. He didn't even ask for DRS and
accepted his and England's fate as the Black Caps cheered.
Leach, who played 71 minutes and took 31 bowls but was not
out, stared off into the distance at the end of the game and is now on the
verge of one of England's most captivating wins and one of his most draining
defeats.
.jpg "Anderson knocked Wagner on the leg to leave England") |
| Anderson knocked Wagner on the leg to leave England |
The debate over the wisdom of the follow-up decision is sure to ensue, especially given Stokes' knee problems and his inability to create more than two chances in a match. England's remaining bowlers must have been ragged by New Zealand's tenacious resistance in the second innings, but even then they would have regretted not killing the match on the fifth day.
Questions can also be asked about referee Chris Gaffaney, who
chose not to call Wagner wide for dragging a leg down right before sending
Anderson off.
At any other point in the game, such a margin call would
hardly have been noticed, but it probably wouldn't have been so easily
forgotten in overtime, when the score could have been tied.
England will reflect that things might have been simpler -
albeit less exciting - had it not been for a sloppy first hour in which they
took four wickets for 27.
Nightwatchman Ollie Robinson lasted just three overs, opener
Ben Duckett flashed his foot into the concrete and Ollie Pope was unconvincing
for his 14th. But the costliest thing was losing an in-form Harry Brook without
facing the ball.
He was lured by Root into a frenzied single left at the end
of the non-strike. With four centuries in the last five Tests, including 186 in
the preceding innings, his accidental sacrifice was a crushing blow. This made
for a sensational final, where England was defeated at the decisive moment.
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