England became the sixth Test playing nation to win the Cricket World Cup after beating New Zealand on boundary count (26 to 17) at the Lord's Cricket Ground in London on Sunday.
The result of the World Cup final had to be decided on boundaries scored by each side after two tied attempts. Batting first, New Zealand put up 241 for the loss of eight wickets. England was dismissed for 241 in its 50 overs.
World Cup's first Super Over could not separate the sides as well. Both England and New Zealand were locked at 15 runs in their respective six balls.
England, having smashed 26 boundaries in the match, had the last laugh as per rules.
The Cricket World Cup saw a new champion in 23 years; the last being Sri Lanka in the 1996 edition. The islanders, under the leadership of Arjuna Ranatunga, had sprung a surprise by overcoming Mark Taylor’s Australia.
But after 1996, Australia ruled the roost; winning the Cup in 1999 (in the UK), 2003 (in South Africa), 2007 (in West Indies) and 2015 (in Australia).
New Zealand made its maiden World Cup final appearance in 2015 under Brendon McCullum, where it lost to Australia. Kane Williamson took the Kiwis to its second successive final in 2019.
Victory had eluded England in four World Cup finals since 1979. It lost two consecutive finals in 1987 and 1992.
But this time, luck was on England's side.
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