On this day: New Zealand stun England with historic one-run victory after following on
In a dramatic finish, New Zealand became the fourth team to win a Test match after being forced to follow on, with a thrilling one-run margin.
On this day in 2023, Wellington's Basin Reserve recorded a thrilling Test match where New Zealand edged out England by just one run, marking only the fourth instance in Test cricket history where a team has won after being forced to follow on. This victory also stands as the second occasion where a Test match was decided by a one-run margin.
Put in to bat first, England scored 435 for 8 declared in their first innings highlighted by significant contributions from Harry Brook (186) and Joe Root (153*), both of whom notched up impressive centuries. Their partnership laid a solid foundation, enabling England to post a commanding total.
New Zealand's struggle and follow-on
In response, New Zealand managed only 209 runs in their first innings. This substantial deficit led England's captain, Ben Stokes, to enforce the follow-on.
However, New Zealand's second innings was anchored by Kane Williamson, who scored a brilliant knock of 132 runs over seven hours. This innings also saw Williamson surpass Ross Taylor's record, becoming New Zealand's leading run-scorer in Test cricket.
There were handy contributions from Tom Blundell (90), Daryl Mitchell (54), Tom Latham (83) and Devon Conway (61) that propelled New Zealand to 483 in their second innings and setting England a target of 258 runs.
A nail-biting finish
England's chase started well, with openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett providing a steady start. However, the momentum shifted as New Zealand's bowlers, led by Neil Wagner, in a strategic move applied the short-ball tactic. Wagner's persistence paid off as he picked crucial wickets, including that of Ben Stokes. The climax of the match saw England's last pair at the crease, needing just two runs for victory. In a dramatic turn, James Anderson was caught down the leg side off Wagner's delivery, sealing a historic one-run victory for New Zealand.
This thrilling Test match recorded itself in the record books as New Zealand became only the fourth team to win a Test after following on, joining the ranks of England, Australia and India. Additionally, the one-run win margin is a second instance with the first being the thrilling 1993 Test between the West Indies and Australia in Adelaide.
