Sport Report 2019 was a massive sporting year for New Zealand. Three world cups. Two finals. One winner. Agony and ecstasy. Heroics and heartbreak. Super overs. By Nathan Limm
Cricket While the Blackcaps had some brilliant wins and memorable performances over the past year, there have been some painful results to swallow. Where else to begin with than the utter heartbreak that was the Cricket World Cup final? A denied LBW shout off Trent Boult’s very first delivery to Jason Roy which was destined for the stumps seemed an omen of what was to come. With England needing nine from three balls, an outfield throw from Martin Guptill ricocheted off Ben Stokes’ bat, running away to the boundary for a freakish six runs. Never in your life will you ever again see that happen in a game with such high stakes. Even a gut-wrenching super over couldn’t separate the two sides and when Jonny Bairstow knocked poor Guppy’s stumps over, England celebrated the draw as if they’d just won the World Cup. Oh, wait. England were crowned champions based on a ruling that the side who had hit more boundaries would win. So, despite having scored the same amount of runs and lost less wickets, the Blackcaps became the first side in cricketing history to not lose the final, yet still not lift the World Cup. Typical. Unfortunately, New Zealand have also had a horror start to 2020. It began with a dismal 0-3 test series drubbing in Australia. The Blackcaps melted under
the harsh Aussie sun, losing all three tests by more than 240 runs. The Kiwis went on to lose five T20’s in a row to India, including two super over defeats. They managed to somewhat vindicate themselves with an ODI series win against the visitors and further opportunities for redemption lie in two tests against India and the Chappell-Hadlee series against Australia in March. The White Ferns will compete in their T20 World Cup over February and March, while the men’s T20 World Cup will take place in October.
