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New Zealand pulled off a stunning victory over England in a thrilling finish at the Basin Reserve on Tuesday. The win was one for the record books as the hosts pulled off a nerve-wracking one run win over the visitors on Day 5 of the second Test.
The win in Wellington saw the Kiwis level the two-match Test series 1-1. Neil Wagner paved the way of what looked like an impossible task. On a sunny day at the Basin Reserve, Wagner pocketed four wickets and picked up two catches to guide the hosts to a record-breaking win.
It was not only the fourth win in the history of Test cricket by a team asked to be follow on, but the win also saw the Kiwis enter the list of narrowest wins by runs in Tests.
New Zealand became only the second team to win a Test by a single run. The last time a team registered a one-run win was back in January 1993, when West Indies downed Australia by one run in Adelaide.
New Zealand is not new to these thrilling finishes in Test cricket, with the Kiwi side finding themselves in the top ten of the narrowest wins list. Back in 2018, New Zealand had registered a thrilling four run win over Pakistan in Abu Dhabi.
The narrowest victories by runs in Test cricket:
1. West Indies defeated Australia by one run in Adelaide in January 1993
2. New Zealand defeated England by one run in Wellington in February 2023
3. England defeated Australia by two runs in Birmingham in August 2005
4. Australia defeated England by three runs in Manchester in July 1902
5. England defeated Australia by three runs in Melbourne in December 1982
6. New Zealand defeated Pakistan by four runs in Abu Dhabi in November 2018
7. South Africa defeated Australia by five runs in Sydney in January 1994