England won maiden cricket world cup after winning an epic final on boundary count against New Zealand. The 2019 cricket world cup was a big hit; England hosted the event and took home the trophy for the first time.
Host countries and timeframe of the event
The cricket world cup took place between the 30th of May and the 14th of July 2019. And 752,000 attendants enjoyed the matches live from stadiums throughout the tournament. Whereas it was Wales’s first time hosting the event, for England, it was their fifth. The tournament featured ten teams, although eight of them (including host England) had won automatic qualifications in the ICC One Day International (ODI) ranking on the 30th of September 2017. The two other teams grabbed the slots after the 2018 cricket world cup qualifier.
Contesting countries
The teams that gained automatic qualifications were New Zealand, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Australia, Sri Lanka, India, England, and South Africa. After winning against their contemporaries in the 2018 cricket world cup qualifier, Afghanistan and West Indies joined them.
India, New Zealand, Australia, and England made it to the top four after six weeks of round-robin matches. After the knock-out stage, New Zealand and England faced each other in the final. The final match ended in a draw following a super-over which England won on the boundary counts.
The final: England lifts the maiden World Cup trophy
The long-expected hour finally came when New Zealand won against India in the first semi-final, making them eligible for the final round. On the other hand, England knocked out Australia in the second semi-final match. This happened to be the first time England made it to the ICC cricket world cup final since 1992.
In the final match, New Zealand batted first after winning the toss. The Kiwis scored a total of 241 runs for 8 wickets from their 50 overs where Chris Woakes and Liam Plunkett each secured three wickets for England. Ben Stokes proved to be a formidable player for the host as he played extraordinarily for them. In chasing the winning target, England scored 241 runs while Stokes carried bat through the innings.
As a result, the match tied and ended in a super over. Surprisingly, the super over also tied, but England, after being defeated three times in the ICC Cricket World Cup final, won maiden cricket world cup title on the boundary count back rule.
Man of the match
Ben Stokes was the man of the match due to his immense contribution in the final match.
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