The bizarre moments that decided greatest World Cup final
Trent Boult’s boundary brain fade, a freak Ben Stokes ‘six’ and Kiwi curses - these are just a few of the moments that decided England’s maiden World Cup triumph.
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It is only fitting cricket’s greatest ever match was filled with game-changing moments. Here are the ten moments that decided the World Cup final.
1. SELFISH GUPTILL BURNS ROSS
Ross Taylor was warming into his innings when he was struck above the knee roll by a Mark Wood length ball. The finger went up and Taylor was gone for 15 (31), unable to call for a review because opener Martin Guptill burnt New Zealand’s on a plumb shout that was crashing into middle stump. Ball tracker showed Taylor was unlucky, with the Wood delivery set to climb over the top. The blow left New Zealand 4/141, having lost 3/38 in 63 balls.
2. SANTNER DUCKS AND DOTS THE FINAL BALL
Tailender Mitchell Santner ducked the final ball of New Zealand’s innings. It was a bizarre decision against Jofra Archer’s slower bouncer, with the Kiwis grabbing just three runs from the final over. With a modest total on the board (8/241) it looked costly at the time. Three hours later and it looked diabolical.
3. BOY, ROY GETS LUCKY (NZ CURSE No.1)
Trent Boult’s brilliant in-swinger should’ve knocked over destructive opener Jason Roy with the first ball of England’s innings. Roy was done for movement and the shout looked plumb live. But when the umpire’s finger stayed down, New Zealand swiftly went upstairs. Ball tracker showed close to half the ball smashing into leg stump, however the decision is umpire’s call. Roy hung around and made 17 (20) as the prized wicket went begging.
4. KIWIS APPLY CHOKERHOLD
Surprise packet Colin de Grandhomme (one maiden) and Matt Henry (two) helped New Zealand send down 19 consecutive dot balls, starting with the final power-play over, as the required run-rate climbed approached six. The pressure exploded and then Lockie Ferguson and substitute Tim Southee clung onto blinding catches to remove Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler respectively. The catches were either side of the Ben Stokes-Buttler 108-run partnership that kept England’s pulse beating.
5. SENIOR BATSMEN MELT
Forty balls of madness thrust England to the brink of disaster as Joe Root and then Jonny Bairstow and then Morgan were all removed. Root and Morgan, England’s Test and ODI captains, combined for 2/16 off 52 balls. Root’s dismissal – a wild baseball swing, which caught an inside edge to keeper Tom Latham – left former great Michael Vaughan stunned. “He hasn’t done that in years,” Vaughan said. With a strike-rate of just 23.3, Root was clearly feeling the pinch, as he tried the same shot the previous de Grandhomme delivery, but missed out and failed to learn his lesson.
6. BOULT OVERSTEPS HIS MARK (NZ CURSE No.2)
Trent Boult caught the World Cup, and then clumsily placed one heel on the boundary rope as he passed the ball off to Guptill. Ben Stokes should’ve been out for 63, but instead was gifted England’s first six of the innings – and in the second-last over. That ultimately left Stokes requiring 15 runs off Boult’s final over to pinch victory.
7. ENGLAND’S GREATEST EVER SIX (NZ CURSE No.3)
The most important six in England history was scored along the ground in the final over. A Boult full-toss was hoicked along the ground to mid-wicket, where Guptill threw to the keeper’s end as Stokes scrambled back for a second run. But the throw deflected off Stokes’ bat and he lay on the ground, watching the ball roll to the long-stop boundary for four overthrows. Yes, Stokes stole another six, and that left England requiring just three runs from the final two deliveries.
8. KAMIKAZE TAILENDERS SECURE SUPER-OVER
Stokes got bat on ball for the final two balls and safely completed the first run, before his partners attempted a second to, firstly, get Stokes back on strike and, secondly, to secure victory. Both were run-out for diamond ducks, although Adil Rashid and Mark Wood hardly cared as the two registered runs tied the game at 241 apiece after 50 overs. Off to a Super Over, with England effectively one run in front, due to hitting more boundaries, with a countback to be used in case of another tie.
9. STOKES, BUTTLER SET KIWIS 16 RUNS TO WIN TROPHY
The Stokes-Buttler union versus Boult delivered an encore and England’s destructive duo went 3, 1, 4, 1, 2, 4 to set the Kiwis 16 runs for victory. Boult bowled full, although just missed his yorkers, and Stokes and Buttler both found room for a boundary each. Kiwis clean in the field as Jofra Archer loosened up on the sidelines.
10. ROY GOES FROM ZERO TO HERO (NZ CURSE No.4)
Jimmy Neesham and Martin Guptill were sent out to face Jofra Archer and went wide, 2, 6, 2, 2, 1 to tie the Super Over. Guptill was run-out by one metre attempting the World Cup-winning run on the final delivery. But on the third legal ball, a Jason Roy fumble not only cost a run-out chance but let Neesham complete a double. Roy was then taken out of the hot spot, but Guptill – on strike for the first time for the last ball – found him, and a lightning throw combined with some sharp Buttler glovework as England ran out Buttler to break a 44-year drought on a boundary countback. Minutes later and players guzzled champagne during a lap of honour at Lord’s.
Originally published as The bizarre moments that decided greatest World Cup final
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