It had been a long week for cricket tragics like myself, late nights struggling to stay awake as the rain tumbled down in Southampton with limited chance to play the inaugural World Test Championship Final. While the Black Caps were clearly the better team, their hopes seemed to be slipping away, and a dull draw seemed the likely result.
As the match entered the sixth day, New Zealand’s only chance for victory was to strike early and who else should oblige but up and coming star, Kyle Jamieson. Jamieson charging down the pitch celebrating the wickets of Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara, exposing the Indian middle order, not only set New Zealand on the path to victory but sealed his much deserved Man of the Match award.
As Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor inched the Black Caps towards victory, the painful memory of the Cricket World Cup Final loss at Lords less than two years ago started to evaporate. It was fitting that two of New Zealand’s greatest cricketers were out there at the end to finally give New Zealand cricket fans a winning moment to savour. Even if the winning moment was a little more muted than hoped, as it was witnessed from the comfort of my warm bed on my phone as the early morning dawned, before the realisation set in that it was time to get up for work!
If you don't know what I’m talking about, you can relive it here - https://www.icc-cricket.com/video/2177739. Enjoy!
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