The New Zealand team, led by Kane Williamson, has won the Christopher Martin-Jenkins Spirit of Cricket award for 2019 for their “grace and humility” after being denied the trophy in the 2019 Men’s Cricket World Cup.
England were declared winners on the basis of boundary count after both the final and the Super Over ended in a tie.
Kumar Sangakkara, the president of the Marylebone Cricket Club and one of the creators of the award, was quoted as saying by ICC, “The New Zealand team are worthy winners of this award. In the heat of battle, they displayed a level of sportsmanship that was fitting for such a fantastic final, and indeed tournament.
“It is a testament to their squad that even after a match that will live long in the memory for the cricket that was played, we are still talking about the Spirit of Cricket. Their actions deserve this recognition.”
The award was created in 2013 in memory of Martin-Jenkins, the former MCC president and BBC Test Match Special commentator.