Last Updated: February 28, 2023, 12:49 IST
New Zealand Defeat England by 1 Run (AP Photo)
New Zealand’s win is only the second instance when a team thumped the opposition by one run
New Zealand thumped England by 1 run on Tuesday to win the second Test match in Wellington and end the series with a 1-1 draw. The hosts bounced back in a phenomenal fashion despite following on after a first-innings debacle. The visitors put up a great fight on the final day of the game with wicketkeeper-batter Ben Foakes almost bringing the team to the doorstep of a thrilling win. However, his dismissal left the onus on James Anderson and Jack Leach who couldn’t finish the job. Neil Wagner dismissed Anderson to complete a four-wicket haul and hand his team a memorable win.
ALSO READ | NZ vs ENG, 2nd Test: New Zealand Bounce Back to Defeat England by 1 Run, Level Series 1-1
This is not the first instance when a team registered a victory by the least margin. New Zealand’s win is only the second instance when a team thumped the opposition by one run.
Smallest Margin of Victories in Test Cricket
| Winning Team | Opposition | Margin of Win | Venue | Year |
| New Zealand | England | 1 Run | Wellington | 2023 |
| West Indies | Australia | 1 Run | Adelaide | 1993 |
| England | Australia | 2 Runs | Birmingham | 2005 |
| Australia | England | 3 Runs | Manchester | 1902 |
| England | Australia | 3 Runs | Melbourne | 1982 |
| New Zealand | Pakistan | 4 Runs | Abu Dhabi | 2018 |
| South Africa | Australia | 5 Runs | Sydney | 1994 |
At the same time, New Zealand became only the third team to win a Test match after being asked to follow on. Surprisingly, the Kiwis achieved the feat for the first time, that too, against a side that did it twice in the past. In fact, back in 1894, England became the first team to win a Test match after following on.
England managed a victory twice after being asked to follow on. After Sydney Test in 1894, they did it again in 1981 in Leeds, against Australia on both occasions. A couple of decades later, India pulled off a stunning victory at Eden Gardens and the opposition was Australia again.
ALSO READ | NZ vs ENG: New Zealand Becomes 3rd Team in History of Test Cricket to Win After Following-on
New Zealand also was part of one of the tensest final days of a Test match when at various times both teams had victory in their grasp and even a rare tie seemed possible. At the start of Day 5, a New Zealand win seemed the most unlikely of all possible scenarios: it had lost the series-opening match by 267 runs and been forced to follow-on 226 runs behind in the second test.
New Zealand now can rest after saving its unbeaten run in Test series at home which stretches back to 2017.
Get the latest Cricket News here