Agony & Ecstasy

Agony and Ecstasy, the two words that come to mind when thinking of the final moments of the 2019 World Cup. Absolutely incredible scenes. In all my years of following the sport, I have never seen such an incredible game, given the context and the hype of the situation.

The stage was set, hosts England were playing New Zealand in a World Cup Final at the home of cricket; Lord’s. It couldn’t get bigger than this for the home side. The jam packed crowd came in way before the game commenced, with some left stranded outside with no tickets. The intensity among the fans was a sign of things to come, but who would’ve thought that it’d turn out the way it did. The Blackcaps won the toss, elected to bat on conditions that looked suited to swing bowling, but the pressure of a final led skipper Kane Williamson to that decision. Opener Martin Guptill threw the kitchen sink at everything he was faced with and that made the Kiwi intentions very clear.

It didn’t last long enough though, but the men in black steadied the ship with the likes of Henry Nicholls, Kane Williamson and Tom Latham getting among the runs. New Zealand scratched their way to 241/8, and many thought it was enough, considering it was a World Cup final. England’s chase started off in wayward fashion, as the opening quicks Trent Boult and Matt Henry looked ominous. England soon found themselves in a spot of bother at 86-4 with their captain going back to the sheds. courtesy and phenomenal catch courtesy Lockie Ferguson at deep point.

Then came the partnership of the game, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes gave England exactly what they were looking for, with a stand of 110 with both batsmen getting to half centuries. After Buttler departed, it looked like it was NZ’s game. But Stokes spoiled the party. His resilient innings of 84* gave England the hope that they needed. The match went right down to the wire, with 2 needed off 1, and Mark Wood being run out on his second run. The game was tied, and the emotion was there to be seen. It meant that there was a super over over that’d have to take place.

England batted first, getting 15 off their 6. Jofra Archer then came on to defend 16 off probably the most important 6 deliveries of his newly-blossomed career. 2 off 1 again, this time Archer held his nerve and Martin Guptill was unable to come back for the second run. This meant the World Cup was England’s. The juxtaposition in the ground was for people to see. Defeat and Agony in the eyes of every New Zealand player, and ecstasy and elation in England’s. Nobody could have predicted a game as close as this. This will be a game talked about for decades to come.

-Vibhor Dubey