Cricket World Cup 2019: New Zealand's agony, ecstasy of nail-biting sporting finishes

OK sports fans, time to pick yourselves up, dust yourselves off and move on from the Blackcaps' heartbreaking loss in the Cricket World Cup final.

The tied-scores/super over/boundary countback defeat to England may be hard to swallow right now, but the sun will rise again tomorrow.

History shows we've survived nerve-shredding finishes before - we've even won a few - so let's just chalk this one up to experience, eh?

Remember, if it doesn't kill you, it only makes you stronger blah, blah.

Sigh, perhaps it is too soon, after all… here's a few memories to make you feel better.

THE AGONY

 

1995 Rugby World Cup Final - All Blacks lose to South Africa in extra time

Anyone old enough to remember this will still bear the scars of the outcome.

New Zealand - especially big winger Jonah Lomu - absolutely ran riot through this tournament and were heavily favoured to best the hosts in the final.

But the Springboks were playing for history, inspired by President Nelson Mandela, and held their rivals try-less through regulation time. 

Tied 12-12, the old foes could not be separated through the first period of extra time and the title was eventually decided by a drop goal from South African first-five Joel Stransky.

Joel Stransky kicks the winning goal in the 1995 World Cup final
Joel Stransky kicks the winning goal in the 1995 World Cup final. Photo credit: Photosport

Their triumph unified a previously divided nation, but claims of sabotage through food poisoning in the All Blacks camp left a sour taste in the mouths of Kiwis fans.    

2002 Commonwealth Games Netball Final - Silver Ferns lose to Australia in sudden death

Over the years, many would argue the Australia-New Zealand rivalry in netball has been among the best in all sport.

When they arrived in Manchester, the Ferns were still smarting from their painful loss to the Diamonds at the 1999 world championship final in Christchurch - a game they led into the final minute and lost on a last-ditch goal from Aussie shooter Sharelle McMahon. 

Silver Ferns reflect on their Manchester defeat
Silver Ferns reflect on their Manchester defeat. Photo credit: Photosport

This time, both teams negotiated pool play unbeaten and duly progressed unscathed through the semis. At the end of regulation time in the final, the scores were locked 46-46.

After 14 minutes of extra time, they still could not be separated (55-55), so they played on until one could achieve the required a two-goal advantage - shooter Catherine Cox was cool under pressure, steering Australia home in an added 1m 40s.

New Zealand would have their revenge though.  

2013 America's Cup Final - Emirates Team New Zealand lose to Oracle Team USA in winner-take-all decider

To be fair, by the time the Kiwi sailors finally lost this, the result was almost a fait accompli - but that didn't stop the agony.

Team NZ dominated the early stages of the best-of-17-race final series and held a seemingly decisive 8-1 advantage after day eight of the contest.

The following day, Oracle clawed one back, before light winds off San Francisco changed the entire complexion of the regatta.

Dean Barker cut a lonely figure after Team New Zealand's 2013 defeat
Dean Barker cut a lonely figure after Team New Zealand's 2013 defeat. Photo credit: Photosport

Team NZ still needed just one more win to claim the Auld Mug and enjoyed a kilometre lead over the Americans (skippered by smarmy Aussie Jimmy Spithill) in the pivotal race, but could not complete within the 40-minute time limit and it was called off within sight of the finish.  

From matchpoint down, Oracle went on to win seven straight races and defend their crown in perhaps the greatest sporting comeback - or choke - in sporting history.

THE ECSTASY

 

2010 Commonwealth Games Netball Final - Silver Ferns beat Australia in sudden death

After their previous heartbreak at world championships and Commonwealth Games, New Zealand actually enjoyed a purple patch against their archrivals, beating them at the 2003 world champs and 2006 Commonwealth Games.

When they arrived in Delhi, the Silver Ferns were defending their title, and progressed through pool play and semis unbeaten.

The Diamonds were just as impressive though and still had the core of a team that had regained the world title in 2007.

Fortunes swung wildly throughout the final. Australia trailed by as many as five goals during the fourth quarter, but eventually levelled at 47-47 to force extra time.

Near the end of extra time, Catherine Cox put Australia ahead, but New Zealand intercepted the centre pass and Maria Tutaia slotted an equaliser for 58-58.

Like Manchester eight years before, the match went to sudden death, with the Silver Ferns needing another 10 minutes, before eventually edging 66-64 clear.

At 84 minutes, that was were the longest-ever official game played.

2016 Rio Olympic Men's Singles Sculls - Mahe Drysdale wins gold by 5/1000th of a second

Drysdale had dominated rowing's single-seat discipline for the best part of a decade, capturing five world titles and the 2012 Olympic gold at London.

At 37, he was seemingly near the end of a long and illustrious career, but determined to return to the top of the podium one last time, after slipping to second at the two previous world championships.

Mahe Drysdale pips Damir Martin at the Rio Olympics
Mahe Drysdale pips Damir Martin at the Rio Olympics. Photo credit: Photosport

He was fastest qualifier through heats and quarter-finals, and won the slower of two semis - Czech rival Ondrej Synek, who had taken his world crown, was five seconds faster in the other.

But in the final, Croatian Damir Martin emerged as his biggest threat and the pair crossed the finish line virtually together, credited with the same time of 6m 41.34s - an Olympic record.

The official photo finish determined Drysdale had prevailed by just 0.005s, a result strenuously disputed by the Croatian Olympic Committee, which demanded the International Olympic Committee and International Rowing Federation intervene.

The result was allowed to stand and Drysdale may yet push for an Olympic gold three-peat in Tokyo next year.   

2018 Commonwealth Games Women's Sevens - Black Ferns beat Australia in overtime

Australia entered the Gold Coast tournament as inaugural Olympic champions, beating New Zealand in the Rio final two years before.

In their final meeting before the Commonwealth Games, the Aussies had also smashed the Kiwis 31-0 in the Sydney Sevens final, so the omens weren't good.

The Black Ferns took another blow on the eve of the tournament, when speedster Ruby Tui was diagnosed with mumps and withdrawn from competition.

Kelly Brazier is too tired to celebrate her winning try at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games
Kelly Brazier is too tired to celebrate her winning try at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Photo credit: Photosport

Both teams eased through the early stages of the tournament and enjoyed comprehensive wins in the semis. 

In the final, New Zealand led 12-0 at halftime, before the home side stormed back to force sudden-death extra time.

Aussie Vani Pelite was hauled just down five metres short of what would have been the winning try and moments later, Kelly Brazier took a quick tap penalty and sprinted 80 metres to steal gold.

Newshub.