Wagner shines as New Zealand pull off 'special' one-run win over England

28.02.2023 - 07:49 thenationalnews.com

Neil Wagner took four wickets and held two crucial catches as New Zealand pulled off a 'Mission Improbable' by beating England by one run in the second Test on a nerve-jangling Day 5 after being made to follow on.

It was only the fourth win in the history of Test cricket by a team asked to follow on, and the second time a team had won a Test by a single run after West Indies beat Australia by the margin in Adelaide in 1993.

Having set England 258 to win, New Zealand's hopes had faded as Joe Root (95) and Ben Stokes (33) produced a 121-run stand to cut the deficit to 57 runs with five wickets in hand on a sunny Tuesday afternoon at the Basin Reserve.

Enter Wagner, who had both out slogging then nervelessly held catches in the deep to help remove Stuart Broad (11) and wicketkeeper Ben Foakes for 35.

cricket win Run as James Anderson Neil Wagner Australia New Zealand county Kane

Devon Conway's blistering 78 helped hosts New Zealand race to 155-2 against Sri Lanka at the end of a rain-delayed opening day of the second Test on Friday in Wellington. Conway fell short of a hundred as he was caught and bowled by Dhananjaya de Silva, who dived low to his right to get both hands on a superb catch, to end a thrilling 108-ball knock. First-Test hero Kane Williamson was unbeaten on 26 alongside Henry Nicholls on 18 when bad light stopped play at the Basin Reserve after Sri Lanka won the toss and put New Zealand in to bat in blustery conditions.

New Zealand 1-1 England: player ratings for the Test series

Ben Stokes: 110 runs at 27.50; one wicket at 54; one catchBy the end the body was broken, the was spirit bruised but the attitude was still intact – I was reminded of Fred Dibnah, the ruins of a tall chimney at his feet, grinning and asking “Did you like that?” A rare series win in New Zealand was sacrificed on the altar of Bazball, a chance to set a target of more than 500 for the draw, which would have secured the series, eschewed with the follow-on. But an unforgettable denouement became the legacy, as Kane Williamson and Neil Wagner charged through a door ever so slightly ajar. Are you not entertained? That said, is the price worth paying? You would have to possess no soul to say no conclusively. Grade B

"Test Cricket Is Best Cricket": Virender Sehwag And Others Hail New Zealand's Win vs England

New Zealand scripted a beautiful story to become the fourth team to secure a Test victory after facing a follow-on. Each player stepped up when the moment demanded it. Kane Williamson and Neil Wagner played a pivotal role in making this test match a classic one. After being put into bat by New Zealand captain Tim Southee, England put up a blistering performance in the first innings of the second Test. On the back of hundreds from Harry Brook (186) and Joe Root (153*), they got to 435/8 in merely 87.1 overs. England's bowlers then got into the act to bundle out the Kiwis for 209. England skipper Ben Stokes enforced the follow-on.

New Zealand pip England by history-matching margin

New Zealand defeated England in one of the tightest finishes in Test history, triumphing by a solitary run in Wellington as they became just the fourth side ever to win a game after following on.

Wagner wills New Zealand to dramatic one-run win over England

New Zealand pulled off a remarkable one-run win over England on Tuesday as lionhearted paceman Neil Wagner's heroics saw the hosts become just the fourth side in test history to claim victory after being asked to follow on.