World Cup 2019: Cricket the real winner as England lift the trophy for the first-ever time

England clinched their first-ever ICC Cricket World Cup trophy by the finest of margins, beating New Zealand by virtue of having scored more boundaries after the match and the super over finished in a tie at the Lord's Cricket Ground in London.

One could not have asked for a better finale for the absolute spectacle that this World Cup 2019 was in the end. To culminate a four-year long journey with the trophy in their grasp would have been nothing short of a fairytale finish for hosts England.

The match provided unmatched entertainment and proved to be a nail-bitin encounter right till the end. There were moments of sheer brilliance from both the sides which took the match all the way past the Super Over as well.

Earlier, both sides ended their innings at 241 and therefore could be not separated at the end of 100 overs, sending the match into a decisive super over. England batted first in the super over and scored an imposing 15 against Trent Boult, with Ben Stokes scoring eight runs and Buttler contributing with seven runs.

Just as it looked like England were set to win the super over, James Neesham's six over mid-wicket off Jofra Archer brought the equation down to 7 runs off 4 balls. A couple of braces and a single later, Martin Guptill was on strike for the last ball, with NZ requiring 2 runs to win from one delivery.

The opener flicked the ball on to the leg side and attempted to sprint back for a double but fell reasonably short much of the crease, much to the utter dismay of the New Zealand side, who only lost owing to the fact that England had scored most boundaries all through the match.

England's nail-biting win sparked wild scenes on the ground and in the crowd as Eoin Morgan earned his spot in the history books as the first ever England captain to win a World Cup.

However, what was heartening to note was the fact that the New Zealand team fought with all their heart at every step of the way. At several moments throughout the game, it looked like they would pull through, but it wasn't meant to be for the Kiwis.

However, they should be extremely proud of their performance and the fighting spirit they showed throughout the tournament. This was perhaps the most dramatic final of any cricket tournament and certainly the best in World Cup history.

The fans were in for a treat as there were numerous edge of the seat moments all the way through at the end. These intense moments of extreme pressure brought out the best in the England team as they held their nerve at the end.

One could say that New Zealand deserved to win based on the fighting spirit they showed every time they were pushed to the wall but England played better throughout the tournament, beating table-toppers India en route to earning a place in the semi-finals.

Arguably one of the best ever ODI matches in the history of the sport, it would be safe to say that with both teams matching each other for talent and skill, cricket was a major winner, with both teams joining hands to end the World Cup 2019 on a fitting note.

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