New Zealand beat England following one of all-time great finishes

England lost to New Zealand by one run in one of the all-time great finishes to the second Test in Wellington.

On a barely believable final day at the Basin Reserve, last man James Anderson was caught down the leg side off Neil Wagner when England needed two to win.

Anderson had joined number 10 Jack Leach with seven required, after Leach added 36 for the ninth wicket with Ben Foakes, who was caught at fine leg for 35.

Anderson fended off a vicious bouncer from Wagner, then sensationally clubbed the next ball for four.

Leach saw off an over from Tim Southee, leaving the stage set for Anderson, but Wagner’s fourth wicket left England 256 all out and drew a deafening roar from the Basin Reserve crowd.

Needing 258 to win the match and series, England calamitously slipped to 80-5, then after a stand of 121 between Joe Root and Ben Stokes, experienced another collapse of 3-14.

Foakes, Leach and Anderson almost got them over the line, but ultimately England lost a Test after enforcing the follow-on for the first time, the fourth such defeat in Test history.

It ends a run of six straight victories and denies them a seventh straight win, a feat last achieved by England in 2004.

For New Zealand, their first win after following on earns a 1-1 draw in the series and protects an unbeaten home run that stretches back to 2017.

England’s next Test is against Ireland at Lord’s on 1 June before their bid to regain the Ashes begins on 16 June.

An almost entirely separate England squad begins a white-ball series in Bangladesh on Wednesday.

Source: BBC