Kane Williamson and his team before the Super Over in the World Cup final (Source: Twitter/@BLACKCAPS)After a dramatic World Cup final which England won, filled with last ball thrills and Super Over chills, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson was left to rue the unfortunate overthrow in the last over that eventually turned the final in the host team’s favour in Lord’s on Sunday.
👏🏽 Massive ovation for our boys as they head to the trophy presentation 🏏 Class from the @HomeOfCricket crowd 👍🏽 #ENGvNZ #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/bDqMlhRq0G
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) July 14, 2019
England needed 9 runs from the final three balls when a throw from the fielder touched Ben Stokes’ bat as he was running, and raced towards the boundary behind Tom Latham. Umpire Kumar Dharmasena chose to give England 6 runs instead of 2 runs, which decided the equation in deciding the fate of who would be the world champion.
In the post-match ceremony, after collecting the Player of the Tournament award, Williamson said, “It was a shame that the ball hit Stokes’ bat, but I just hope it doesn’t happen in moments like that. I don’t wish to nitpick, just hope it never happens in such moments ever again.”
“The NZ side showed a great amount of heart to get us to this point, but it just wasn’t meant to be. The guys are shattered at the moment – it is devastating. It’s pretty tough to swallow at this stage. But a fantastic effort from our guys,” said the 28-year-old captain.
“They (Neesham and Guptill) both hit the ball very hard, the left-hand right-hand combination was useful in the Super Over, looking at the short boundary, but it’s unfair to critique a match fought with such small margins – especially the match that we saw today,” he continued.
After the Kiwi skipper, the winning captain Eoin Morgan offered his condolences to Williamson.
“I’d like to commiserate Kane and his team. The fight that they show is worth aspiring to. The example that they lead is hugely commendable to him and his team. It was a very hard-fought game,” said the Dublin-born captain.
“This has been a four-year journey. We have developed a lot over those years, especially the last two. We find it hard to play on wickets like that. To get over the line today means the world to us. I was being cooled down by Liam Plunkett, which isn’t a good sign – we were going up and down like a yo-yo. Some of the support staff and the players – not only the best in our team, but in the world, they really helped – quite calming at times.”
Man of the match Ben Stokes, whose 84 from 98 balls was crucial in the run chase, was lost for words, but he apologised to New Zealand for the unintentional touch.
“In the last over when the ball hit the bat and went for four – I apologized to Kane for that.”
“All the hardwork that’s gone on in these four years, and to execute with such a good game is unthinkable. Thanks to everyone for all the support. We just kept talking during the partnership with Jos, and the run-rate wasn’t getting away. It’s fantastic, the lads, the family, and the support, it’s just been incredible,” he said.
