NZ vs ENG: New Zealand beat England by one run after being forced to follow on in second Test

Despite being forced to play extra innings in Wellington, New Zealand edged England by only one run in the second test on Tuesday to force a tie in the series. The two-Test series ended with a tie when New Zealand gave England a 258-run victory target, but the visitors were all out for 256 in thrilling circumstances. James Anderson was ultimately dismissed by Neil Wagner after Tom Blundell, the wicketkeeper for New Zealand, made history with a diving catch. Wagner finished with a 6-22, and commented, "Great accomplishment; hats off to everyone; everyone kept battling." "They performed well, credit where credit is due, but we found a way to contribute," the coach said of the team. Blundell was ecstatic to maintain his hold on the falling grab. "I saw it well, and fortunately it went in unharmed," The wicketkeeper said, "Very delighted." It was New Zealand's first Test victory after being requested to follow on, and it was just the fourth occasion in history. India defeated Australia in 2001, whereas England accomplished it twice, in 1894 and 1981 against Australia. The opposition was forced to follow on, and it was the first time England lost a Test after doing so.

Over the final two riveting days of a topsy-turvy Test match, New Zealand took the lead once again. After declaring their first innings at 435-8 and then dismissing New Zealand for 209, England was on track to win. With a magnificent 132 in their second innings of 483, New Zealand's former captain Kane Williamson brought his team back into the match, giving England 258 to win. After starting the day at 48-1, England stumbled and lost four wickets for just 27 runs until Joe Root helped his side get back on track by leading them to 168-5 at lunch. Root and Ben Stokes' partnership came to an end on run 121 as England's skipper was caught at square leg as they continued to make progress towards their objective. Once Root went for 95 and England was still 57 runs behind, the pressure on England substantially increased. With a carefree 35, wicketkeeper Ben Foakes kept England in the game. He overcame Michael Bracewell's lost catch and hit three fours to the boundary.