Cricket

I will think about those 20 centimetres for the next 50 years – James Neesham

 

Cricket is a game of margins or inches. Those inches could be the difference between winning and losing. The margin of error is minimum and the one who gets it right, generally goes on to win the match. The 2019 World Cup final between England and New Zealand was one such clash for the ages, where those inches were the eventual difference between the two sides.

Both the teams were on par with each other and they had to be separated by the boundary count rule, which goes to show how close the match was. The Kiwis scored 241 and England followed suit.

The match went to the Super Over. England scored 15, New Zealand scored 15. What do we do now? ICC law states we go to the boundary rule. England – 24, New Zealand – 16. Ecstasy for England, despair for New Zealand, shouted Ian Smith in the commentary box.

Martin Guptill was on strike when two runs were needed for New Zealand to lift their maiden World Cup. The right-hander played it towards the cow corner but felt 20 centimetres away from making his ground for the second run. Jos Buttler did the rest and the England team celebrated like there was no tomorrow.

New Zealand’s all-rounder James Neesham was at the other end and there is no doubt that the epic final will always haunt him. Neesham added that he will think about those 20 centimetres for the next 50-years of his life.

“I think first and foremost you’ve got to take care of what’s in front of you. Being at one of the hotspots in the field during the death overs (at long-on), I sort of knew that it would be a high chance I had to do something in the field before I batted,” Neesham told ESPNCricinfo.

“When we got out to bat, obviously getting 16 in a Super Over to win is almost unreachable. So, the pressure was pretty well off because I guess no one is going to blame you for not getting 16. It was all about making contact as long as possible but yeah 1 run, 20 centimetres short? Will think about those 20 centimetres for the next 50 years.”

Neesham had a great World Cup final as an individual but the end result must have been hard to swallow. The southpaw batsman scored 19 runs whereas he scalped three wickets in the second innings. Neesham had also smashed a six in the Super Over against Jofra Archer to keep the Blackcaps in the contest but it wasn’t to be. The medium pacer also scalped 15 wickets in the 10 matches of the World Cup whereas he scored 232 runs in eight innings in the ODI showpiece.

About the Author


Written by DafaNews

DafaNews brings you the most highlighted news in the world of Sports. It serves you up-to-date matches, scores, live streams, fantasy games and quizzes. Our news covers India's prestigious leagues and events – Premier League, Pro Kabbadi League, Cricket World Cup and many more. Follow DafaNews on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,Telegram and Youtube for more updates.

Related Post
Share
Published by
DafaNews

Recent Posts

“Never expected a very easy run” – Gautam Gambhir reflects on his tenure as coach after IND vs NZ 2024 Test series defeat

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has admitted that he never expected a very easy run… Read More

October 31, 2024

Probably has a lot to do with playing on flat wickets in T20 – Gautam Gambhir on decline of good defensive technique in Test cricket

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir feels T20 cricket has led to the downfall of a… Read More

October 31, 2024

India needs Mumbai Test win before Australia tour – Gautam Gambhir

Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir feels the Rohit Sharma-led team desperately needs to win the… Read More

October 31, 2024

I cannot say just the batters have let us down – Gautam Gambhir feels everyone should take responsibility for series loss against New Zealand

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir refused to blame the batters after the team’s 2-0 series… Read More

October 31, 2024

It was insane – Bronny James after scoring his first NBA bucket

Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James was on cloud nine after he managed to score… Read More

October 31, 2024

I’m happy with my team’s performance: Mohun Bagan SG head coach Jose Molina after win against Hyderabad FC

Mohun Bagan Super Giant head coach Jose Molina was delighted with the team’s performance after… Read More

October 31, 2024