On February 28, 2023, New Zealand stunned England with a thrilling one-run victory in the Wellington Test. The match saw several records broken, with the hosts coming back from being bowled out cheaply in the first innings and being enforced to follow on by England. Neil Wagner played a pivotal role in the comeback, taking three out of five remaining wickets of the visitors and causing havoc after lunch on the final day.
The hosts’ victory helped them level the two-match series against England and maintain their record of not losing a Test series at home. New Zealand has now gone unbeaten in 11 Test series at home. The match also saw Kane Williamson play a record-breaking century and Tom Blundell support him equally well, which gave New Zealand hope of winning the match.
The match was tantalizingly poised on Day 4, with England needing 210 runs and the hosts 9 wickets. Skipper Tim Southee dismissed opener Zak Crawley before the stumps on Day 4, and Southee and Matt Henry struck early to leave England reeling at 59/3. However, Joe Root and Ollie Pope did the damage repair job, with Root playing aggressively and scoring a run-a-ball half-century before captain Ben Stokes curbed his natural instincts to fight it out.
On Day 5, Wagner got the first wicket in the form of Pope before New Zealand got lucky with the run-out of Harry Brook, who was run out without facing a delivery. Wagner then dismissed James Anderson to get his fourth wicket of the innings and helped the Kiwis seal a thriller in front of a packed crowd at Basin Reserve. Ben Foakes almost brought his side to victory, but New Zealand didn’t give up till the last over and captain Southee dismissed Foakes, getting him caught at deep fine-leg.
New Zealand’s one-run victory was only the second in the history of Test cricket, after West Indies beat Australia in the 1993 Test, 30 years ago at Adelaide. New Zealand joined India and England in becoming only the third team to win a Test after following on. However, on the other hand, England became only the second team to lose a Test match after enforcing a following-on. Australia has lost thrice in this manner.
The victory was particularly significant for New Zealand, who had faced several setbacks in the lead-up to the series. Before the series began, the Black Caps lost their captain, Ross Taylor, to a calf injury. They also lost their star bowler, Trent Boult, who withdrew from the series to be with his wife for the birth of their child.
Despite the setbacks, New Zealand showed their resilience and fighting spirit, which helped them win the series against England. The victory also showed that the Black Caps are a formidable side at home and that they can overcome even the toughest challenges.
In conclusion, New Zealand’s one-run victory over England in the Wellington Test was a thrilling match that saw several records broken. The hosts’ victory helped them level the two-match series against England and maintain their record of not losing a Test series at home. The victory was particularly significant for New Zealand, who had faced several setbacks in the lead-up to the series. The Black Caps’ fighting spirit and resilience helped them win the series against England and showed that they are a formidable side at home.
