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Cricket's greatest World Cup final: 5 moments that buried NZ

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Trent Boult of New Zealand treads on the boundary after taking a catch (Getty Images)
Trent Boult of New Zealand treads on the boundary after taking a catch (Getty Images)

London - It will go down as one of the most entertaining, controversial and unbelievable cricket matches of all time. 

Sunday's World Cup final between England and New Zealand at Lord's ended in a tie twice, but after the dramas of the Super Over it was the hosts and pre-tournament favourites who were crowned world champions based on a technicality that few knew about before the start of the tournament or even the match. 

England had hit 24 boundaries to New Zealand's 16 over the course of 50 overs, and that was the tiebreaker used to separate the two sides on the day. 

It was as devastating a loss as you are likely to see in professional sport given how hard New Zealand had fought with the ball to stay in it after posting just 241/8 in their innings. 

Everything that needed to go England's way at the business end of the contest seemed to, and New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson acknowledged after the match that his side simply hadn't enjoyed the rub of the green. 

England captain Eoin Morgan agreed, but at the end of it all there could only be one team lifting the trophy. 

It was impossible not to feel for the Black Caps, and here we identify five moments where the simply didn't have luck on their side:

1. Marais Erasmus shoots Ross Taylor

New Zealand had used their review through opener Martin Guptill, but they could have done with it when Ross Taylor was given out lbw in the 34th over. Mark Wood was the bowler and the ball smashed into Taylor's pads. South African umpire Marais Erasmus thought long and hard before raising his finger, but replays revealed that the ball was in fact sailing over the stumps. Taylor was out for 15 (31) and the Black Caps were reduced to 141/4 having lost one of their key men. 

2. Jason Roy survives a first ball duck

There was no controversy here, but to the naked eye it just looked so out when Trent Boult had Jason Roy wrapped on the pads with the first ball of England's chase. Erasmus was the umpire once more and he didn't move this time. New Zealand reviewed the decision and DRS showed a fair chunk of the ball hitting leg stump, but an 'umpire's call' was the result as Roy survived. He would go on to score 17. 

3. Ben Stokes is caught, but... 

England needed 22 off 9 and it was looking a tall order. Ben Stokes, 62* at the time, threw the bat at one from Jimmy Neesham and looked to be short as the ball travelled towards Boult at deep midwicket. Boult steadied himself and completed the catch, but he seemed to not be certain of where his feet were and his momentum took him into the boundary rope. The end result was a six to Stokes and England needed 16 off 8 as opposed to what would have been 22 off 8 with Stokes out had the catch been legal. 

4. Overthrows crush Black Caps

This moment was simply devastating to watch, regardless of who you were supporting. England needed 9 off 3 and Stokes punched Boult to deep midwicket. Martin Guptill was the fielder and he launched his return to the 'keeper's end as Stokes charged back for two. Struggling to make his ground, Stokes dived towards his crease before the ball hit his bat and deflected towards the boundary for a bonus four runs. He had effectively hit a six, and all of a sudden England needed 3 off 2. 

It was a controversial moment, with reports after the incident suggesting that England should only have been awarded five runs for the incident and not six, because Stokes and Adil Rashid had not yet crossed when Guptill let go of the ball. 

Either way, it was too cruel to be fair and it ultimately cost New Zealand a World Cup. 

5. Boundaries the tiebreaker

Neither captain knew about this rule going into the match, but just before New Zealand's Super Over began it was announced that if they scored 15 runs to tie with England, they would lose the World Cup because they had scored less boundaries in their 50 overs. That final count went 24-16 in favour of England, and it would prove to be the difference. 

New Zealand did absolutely all they could to secure a famous victory, but nothing went for them in terms of the fine margins and the rub of the green. 

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