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For the second straight test match, the Black Caps were involved in a thrilling finish, beating Sri Lanka by two wickets off the final ball.
It was some ending at Hagley Oval with the floodlights turned on for the last ball of the match and the scores tied.
Kane Williamson, who led New Zealand to victory with an unbeaten 121, and Neil Wagner, battling a torn hamstring and bulging disc in his back, scampered through for a bye to clinch back-to-back crazy test wins.
Here’s some of the key numbers from an incredible match:
18
This was just the 18th test match in history to be decided by two wickets. It was the second time New Zealand have won a test by that margin, also doing so against Pakistan in Dunedin in 1985 when Jeremy Coney and No 11 Ewen Chatfield added an unbroken 50-run partnership to see them home (Lance Cairns retired hurt after suffering a suspected hairline fracture of the skull). Chatfield achieved his highest test score, 21 from 84 balls, and Coney produced a match-winning 111 not out.
3
New Zealand pulled off their third-highest successful test run chase, courtesy of the last ball heroics from Williamson and Wagner. They chased down 317 against Bangladesh in Chattogram in 2008, and 324 to beat Pakistan at Christchurch’s Lancaster Park in 1994 – a match Bryan Young (120) and Shane Thomson (120 not out) scored their maiden test centuries in, winning by five wickets. It was the largest successful test chase at Hagley, eclipsing the 201 Australia chased down in 2016 to beat New Zealand by seven wickets.
55.31
Williamson’s remarkable fourth innings average in test cricket. With the match on the line, there’s few better people in world cricket to have at the crease. Four of Williamson’s 27 test centuries have come in the fourth innings of the match, with four half-centuries also mixed in. He has scored 1540 runs in the fourth innings of tests from 23 innings with his 121 not out in Christchurch his highest score batting in the last innings.
183
The number of runs in the test from man of the match Daryl Mitchell. The Cantabrian, who started his career with Northern Districts, had a stellar test at his Hagley home, hitting his fifth test century in the first innings, scoring 102, and backing up with a crucial 81 on Monday – combining for a vital 142-run fourth wicket stand from 157 balls with Williamson. Mitchell has been in a purple patch in test cricket since the June tour of England, scoring 883 test runs over his past 14 innings, including four centuries, at an average of 80.3.
59.04
Mitchell’s incredible average in test cricket through the first 17 matches of his career. That’s good enough for eighth best on the all-time list (minimum 20 innings), putting the man they call ‘Dazzler’ in some illustrious company. Only Sir Donald Bradman (Australia) 99.94, Adam Voges (Australia) 61.87, Graeme Pollock (South Africa) 60.97, George Headley (West Indies) 60.83, Herbert Sutcliffe (England) 60.73, Steve Smith (Australia) 59.80, and Eddie Paynter (England) 59.23, boast better career test batting averages. Mitchell has scored five centuries and eight half-centuries from 26 innings.
27
The number of test centuries Williamson has now struck for New Zealand. The brilliant right-hander made it centuries in back-to-back matches, also playing an influential role in the cliffhanger at the Basin against England, scoring 132 in the second innings, which helped set the visitors a target of 258 to run. Williamson is some way out in front at the top of the test century tree for New Zealand with the retired Ross Taylor next with 19 and the late great Martin Crowe hitting 17.
0
The number of balls remaining when New Zealand reached their target on Monday night. ESPNCricinfo stats revealed it was just the second time a team had reached their target on the final ball of a test match. England chased down their target of 128 against South Africa in Durban in 1948 off the last possible ball of the test with eight ball overs then in effect. Eight runs were also needed off the last over in Durban.
8
The number of runs New Zealand needed from the 53rd over of the day and 70th of their innings. With Asitha Fernando at the bowling crease, it was all set up for a nervous finish with New Zealand seven down, which became eight in the last over when Matt Henry was run out. A boundary from the fourth ball of the over from Williamson was a pivotal moment, carving Fernando behind square, piercing the two fielders on the boundary.
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