England, the pre-tournament favourites, clinched their maiden World Cup title, but their charge towards the title was not without luck. Chasing down 241, the chase had lost steam in the first phase of the chase. However, it found wings when Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler joined hands out in the middle. A superb partnership ensued and just when England seemed to have things under control, New Zealand hit back with the wicket of Buttler.
This opened the game even further and then regular wickets kept New Zealand in the hunt. Fifteen runs were needed off the final over. Ben Stokes was on strike and Trent Boult was the bowler. The first two balls were a dot, Stokes shuffled across for the third delivery and swatted a full ball on off over deep mid-wicket. Nine runs were now needed with three balls to go. Stokes then dinked a ball towards mid-wicket and sprinted, the ball rolled to Martin Guptill who picked it up and threw it at the striker's end. Stokes dived and the ball hit his bat and trickled past short fine leg for a boundary. This was the cruel turn of fortunes as the umpires signalled six runs, all along the ground.
A gutted Williamson reacts
"It was a shame that the ball hit Stokes' bat, but I just hope it doesn't happen in moments like that," Williamson said after England clinched the World Cup 2019 finale on higher boundary count. "Unfortunately that sort of thing happens from time to time. It's a part of the game that we play. I don't wish to nitpick, just hope it never happens in such moments ever again," the disappointed skipper added.
As fate would have it, England went on to post 15 runs in their own super over and New Zealand needed 16 to win the title. When Martin Guptill was on strike, the Kiwis needed two runs off the final ball. He pushed the ball towards mid-wicket and looked to race across for a brace. However, the throw from the deep was aimed for Buttler, who gathered it and knocked over the stumps. Guptill put in a full-stretched dive but was well short of his crease.
The England players broke away in wild celebrations as the Kiwi batsmen sunk to their knees, cursing their ridiculous bad luck.
"The New Zealand side showed a great amount of heart to get us to this point, all leading to a tie in the final, but it just wasn't meant to be today," said Williamson, who was also adjudged the Player of the Tournament for his 578 runs in nine innings and his absolutely refreshing captaincy.
