England and New Zealand just played one of the rarest Test cricket matches in history. Only the fourth time ever, a team won after being forced to follow on. England batted first and racked up 435 runs with only eight outs, then declared, choosing not to play out their turn. New Zealand stumbled at the start and only managed 209 in response, putting England up by 226. Given that lead, England enforced the follow-on, making New Zealand bat again instead of going in themselves.
This time, New Zealand responded with a massive 483-run inning, flipping the pressure back on England. That gave them a 257-run lead. England now had to chase 258 runs to win with 10 outs. They nearly pulled it off. It came down to the final minutes and final outs. England needed two runs to win with only one batter left. But a sharp edge off the bat of England’s tailender, Jimmy Anderson, flew to New Zealand and they made the catch. Game over. New Zealand pulled off the comeback win.
The drama in those last few balls was intense. Every decision, every run, every fumble in the field mattered. The crowd was locked in. Fans exploded at the catch. Others were crushed. Those final moments sealed it as one of the most thrilling and unlikely finishes cricket has seen in over a hundred years.