March 13, 2023, Wellington (AP) — Kane Williamson and Neil Wagner stole a bye from the last ball of the first cricket test Monday to beat Sri Lanka by two wickets and emphasize New Zealand’s aptitude for extraordinary test match victories.
Only two weeks after New Zealand beat England by a single run at the Basin Reserve, the Black Caps again played a part in one of the most incredible finishes in test match history.
The rain seemed to have wrecked the final day of the match in Christchurch when it prevented play in the scheduled first two sessions. When it cleared the umpires announced a single extended session in which New Zealand needed 257 runs to win, and Sri Lanka needed nine wickets.
A winning result seemed impossible though the session was extended to at least 52 overs and more than 3-1/2 hours. In what turned into a 50-overs match, then a 20-overs match, Williamson made an unbeaten 121 to guide New Zealand to a narrow victory.
A limpid rainbow hung over Hagley Park as the players came out in the late afternoon to play out the last chapter of an absorbing match. The Sri Lanka fielders were shielding their eyes against the setting sun as the last overs were bowled, and darkness engulfed the ground just as the players left the field.
New Zealand needed 131 runs off the last 20 overs, then 101 off the last 15 with Williamson steering the innings.
