New Zealand clinch 1-run thriller

Wellington, February 28

New Zealand completed a dramatic fightback on the last day to beat England by one run today and become only the fourth team in history to win a Test after being forced to follow-on.

On a day of constant twists and turns, Joe Root scored 95 in a partnership of 121 with Ben Stokes (33) which appeared to have secured England’s victory and a 2-0 win in the two-match series.

Root and Stokes were out within a run of each other with 56 runs still needed and the match, which had been heading England’s way, tilted back in favour of New Zealand with seven wickets down and the lower-order exposed. Wicketkeeper Ben Foakes then made 35, facing down the New Zealand attack and shepherding the tailenders to guide England within sight of victory. But in another twist, Foakes was out with seven runs still needed.

Last man James Anderson clubbed a four down the ground which left England two runs from a match and series victory and the crowd holding its collective breath. Then in the last, dramatic moment, Anderson was caught down the leg side by a diving Tom Blundell from the bowling of Neil Wagner.

In a defining comeback for Wagner and his short-pitch bowling, he took 4/62, dismissed Root and Stokes and held three catches on the final day to seal New Zealand’s narrowest Test win. “It’s a special win this and we’ll celebrate what is an amazing achievement,” Wagner said. — AP

4th Instance a team has won after following on in a Test match. All the previous instances came against Australia — twice by England (Sydney 1894 and Leeds 1981) and India in Kolkata in 2001

Narrowest wins by runs

1 run West Indies bt Australia in Adelaide in 1993

1 run New Zealand bt England in Wellington in 2023

2 runs England bt Australia in Birmingham in 2005

3 runs Australia bt England in Manchester in 1902

3 runs England bt Australia in Melbourne in 1982

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