Perera stuns Proteas and four other great Test match thrillers

New Zealand's dramatic one-run victory over England at Wellington on Tuesday was only the second time in nearly 2,500 Tests dating back 146 years that a match had been won by such a narrow margin.

AFP Sport looks at five other nail-biting Tests:

1993, Adelaide: West Indies beat Australia by one run

A great West Indies side that had been the dominant force in Test cricket since the mid 1970s were just starting to show signs of fraying round the edges when they achieved this thrilling success on Australia Day.

Curtly Ambrose led the West Indies to victory after Australia had rallied from 74-7.

But Ambrose, one of the all-time great fast bowlers, had last man Craig McDermott caught behind with Australia needing just two more runs to complete a series win, although there was a debate over whether the ball had flicked the batsman's glove.

But the dismissal, in an era before the Decision Review System, stood and the win meant West Indies preserved their then record of not losing a Test series in 13 years.

1999, Barbados: West Indies beat Australia by one wicket

By now West Indies were no longer Test cricket's preeminent power.

But two months after West Indies were whitewashed 5-0 in South Africa, star batsman Brian Lara produced one of his greatest innings against the strongest team of his era in Australia.

West Indies, set 308 to win, collapsed to 105-5 against an attack boasting two all-time greats in Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne.

Lara, however, responded with a breathtaking 153 not out to inspire a remarkable win, although he still needed Courtney Walsh, a notoriously inept No 11, to survive five balls.

The series ended all square at 2-2.

2005, Edgbaston: England beat Australia by two runs

England had not won an Ashes series