Just when things are falling in place for Kane Williamson-led New Zealand, the unfortunate overthrow in the last-over turned the epic final in England’s favour. England needed 9 runs from the final three balls when a throw from the deep touched a diving Ben Stokes’ bat and raced to the boundary ropes, giving England six runs when they should have got only two.
In a high drama encounter on Sunday night, the pendulum swung viciously in the final over with England needing nine from three balls when Ben Stokes hit Trent Boult to the deep. The return throw from Martin Guptill hit Stokes’ bat as he dived to make his ground for the second run, with the ball rebounding to the rope for an additional four runs.
It impacted the equation to the extent that the heart-stopping contest stretched to the Super Over and eventually the hosts lifted their maiden World Cup trophy at the iconic Lord’s here.
It wasn’t the way I Intended – Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes, for starters, smashed an unbeaten 84 to steer England’s chase of 242 against the Black Caps. Moreover, Martin Guptill’s throw in the last over of the World Cup final deflected off Stokes’s bat and ran over to the boundary as 6 runs were scored at a key stage.
At the post-match presentation ceremony, Ben Stokes said he would apologise to New Zealand captain Kane Williamson for the rest of his life. He went on to add saying that it wasn’t intentional and he doesn’t want to get runs in such manner for the country.
“I said to Kane I’ll be apologising for that for the rest of my life. It was not the way I wanted to do it.. the ball going off my bat like that.. I apologised to Kane,” Ben Stokes said.
In the Eliminator over, Stokes and Buttler helped England post 15 which New Zealand matched but in heart-wrenching fashion, fell behind due to less number of boundaries hit to England.