New Zealand Become Only 2nd Team To Win Test Match By 1 Run, Beat England In Wellington

New Zealand became only the second team in the history of Test cricket to win a Test match by a single run, when they defeated England in Wellington on Day 5 of the second Test on Tuesday (February 28). West Indies are the only team to achieve the feat, defeating Australia by the same margin in Adelaide back in 1993.

Tim Southee’s team became just the fourth side in the history of Test cricket to win a Test match after following on. India were the last team to win after following on, defeating Australia in the historic Eden Gardens Test match back in 2001 under the leadership of Sourav Ganguly.

Winning a Test match after following on...
- England (at Sydney Cricket Ground on 20 December 1894)
- England (at Headingley, Leeds on 21 July 1981)
- India (at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on 15 March 2001)
- New Zealand (at Basin Reserve, Wellington, today!)#ENGvsNZ #NZvsENG — Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) February 28, 2023

England needed just 2 runs to win with Neil Wagner bowling to James Anderson. However, off the second ball of the 75th over, Anderson got a tickle down the leg-side and wicketkeeper Tom Blundell taking the catch down the leg-side with England just 1 run short of the target.

The visitors needed 258 to win and were reduced to 80 for 5 on the final day but former captain Joe Root kept them in the hunt with a brilliant 95 off 113 balls following up on his 153 not out in the first innings. But Wagner got the crucial double blow of Root and England skipper Ben Stokes (32) and went on to pick up 4/62 in the innings.

Wicketkeeper Ben Foakes kept them in the hunt and got the target down to 7 runs with his 35 off 57 balls before skying a catch to Wagner at fine-leg off Tim Southee. New Zealand levelled the two-match Test series at 1-1 with this thrilling win.

Last man James Anderson clubbed a four down the ground which left England two runs from victory and the crowd holding its breath. Then in the last, dramatic moment, No. 11 Anderson was caught down the leg side from the bowling of Neil Wagner and New Zealand had the win.

“It’s a special one this,” Wagner said. “We’ll celebrate this amazing achievement. It’s something we’re extremely proud of.”

England twice and India one are the only other teams to have own a test after having to follow-on. The last occasion was in 2001 when India beat Australia by 171 runs at Eden Gardens.