How England captain Ben Stokes responded to dramatic defeat
The Black Caps became only the fourth team in history to win a Test after being asked to follow on, and their one-run margin of victory was only the second time that a team has ever won a Test by the barest of possible margins.
But for England, this was yet another spellbinding match under the captain and coach combination of Stokes and Brendon McCullum, and the first time that the team have come out on the wrong side of one of a number of dramatic denouement under Stokes' captaincy.
To have turned a series into one the world is talking about: that is as much at the heart of the ‘Bazball’ philosophy as the rocketing run-rates and attacking approaches according to the England captain.
"It is disappointing to not win, but we look at the bigger picture," Stokes told UK rights-holder BT Sport after the Test.
"What everyone has enjoyed here today is probably bigger than any disappointment at the moment.
"Being in that situation in the last half an hour, it is everything you wish for.
"And even though we came out on the wrong side of it, you can't help but feel blessed that we managed to be a part of an incredible game like that."
Test cricket 😍 #NZvENG pic.twitter.com/MfiS1vCrlK
— ICC (@ICC) February 28, 2023
And speaking to the media after the match, Stokes repeated the point.
“If you can’t look back at that Test match, even in our dressing room on the losing side, and just be quite thankful that you’ve been involved in a game like that… when can you?
“You have to lose games to really appreciate how good it is to actually win. And, if you are going to lose games, you’d like to be involved in a game like that instead of losing by 200 runs or whatever. It might sound daft because you’ve gone so close, but I just think everyone is appreciating this week for what it is.
“That doesn’t mean for a second we’re not fussed about winning or losing. We love winning. But if it doesn’t work out that way, we’ll hold our hands up and say the opposition were better than us.”
What a finish in Wellington as Neil Wagner dismisses James Anderson to ensure New Zealand register a famous one-run victory over England 🤯#NZvENG pic.twitter.com/g0bjxVYbkH
— ICC (@ICC) February 28, 2023
It was the world’s top-ranked bowler James Anderson who was the final wicket to fall on the day.
The 40-year-old is renowned for many extraordinary qualities, but a smiley on-field demeanour is rarely one of them.
Yet, while Anderson was initially upset in falling so close to the target, the manner in which he embraced the aftermath of defeat was, in Stokes’ view, a huge indicator that England are united in support of their new mindset.
“I didn't know how Jimmy would react when he walked off,” the England captain told BBC Sport.
"He's been in those positions before where he's walked off disappointed, but the fact he was walking off smiling made everything we talk and speak about true and a reality.”
The game could well have gone to a fifth day and a close finish with either option, but England’s decision to enforce the follow-on set up the scenario where New Zealand are the first team to win from that position since India against Australia in Kolkata in 2001.
But Stokes says rather than looking back and criticising a decision based on logic, credit should go to the excellence of New Zealand for pulling off a victory from such a deficit.
"Imagine captaining in hindsight? That's not something I would ever do," he said.
"It was always our game to lose once we had enforced the follow-on. The logic was our bowlers had ripped through their top order three innings in a row and we knew New Zealand had to play pretty much the perfect game to put us in a situation like this.
"Batting in the last innings chasing 250 is not something we were worried about. But you have to give huge credit to New Zealand not just for the way they batted in their second innings but the way they bowled and managed to get early wickets with not too many runs on the board.
"Other teams are allowed to pay better than us, and New Zealand played better than us this week."
England's Test team will return to action in home conditions against Ireland in June, with the five-match Ashes series against Australia set to begin later that same month.
New Zealand are back in Test action in just over a week's time, with Sri Lanka arriving in a series that could potentially have a significant impact on the World Test Championship Standings.