Boundary Count Rule in WC Final Didn’t Come as a Surprise, Says James Neesham

Christchurch: New Zealand cricketer James Neesham stated he was well aware of the boundary count rule that led to England winning the 2019 ICC World Cup at the expense of the Kiwis at the Lord’s.

The blockbuster finale ended in a tie after 100 overs and the Super Over also saw both the teams score 15 runs off six deliveries. England were crowned champions as they had scored more boundaries than New Zealand in the match. Kane Williamson’s troops had to settle for the runners-up trophy.

“I was padding up in the change room for the Super Over. I hadn’t been mentioned at any point before that. Although having said that initially I had actually won a match on boundary count in a Super Over before in my career so it wasn’t much of a surprise for me,” Neesham told ESPNcricinfo.

Batting first in the Super Over, England batsmen scored 15/0 off six Trent Boult deliveries. In the chase, Neesham smashed 13 runs off first five deliveries from Jofra Archer, handing the task of scoring 2 runs off the final delivery to Martin Guptill.

Guptill hit the the ball towards deep mid-wicket and was run-out while trying to get back into the crease at the striker’s end.

“When we got out to bat, obviously getting 16 in a Super Over to win is almost unreachable. So, the pressure was pretty well off because I guess no one is going to blame you for not getting 16,” Neesham said.

“It was all about making contact as long as possible but yeah 1 run, 20 centimetres short? Will think about those 20 centimetres for the next 50 years,” he added.