Black Caps Martin Guptill and Ish Sodhi react after the Cricket World Cup final. Photo / Getty Images
Black Caps Martin Guptill and Ish Sodhi react after the Cricket World Cup final. Photo / Getty Images
The Blacks Caps suffered one of the all-time gutwrenching defeats by losing in a tied Super Over to England at the Cricket World Cup.
Here's how it ranks with other heartbreaking New Zealand sporting defeats.
6) Jack Bauer denied Tour de France stage win
The powerful rouleur had a fingertip on history in stage 15 to Nimes in 2014 only to be swallowed by the voracious peloton half a dozen pedal strokes from becoming the first New Zealander to win an individual stage.
Freed from his team chores to roll the dice in a breakaway, the Garmin-Sharp rider along with fellow escapee Martin Elmiger rode clear of the peloton at the start of the 222km stage. This time the usual big breakaway group didn't form, leaving the pair to share the work of pushing through the wind for a tick shy of five hours.
Jack Bauer reacts after being caught just shy of the finish line of stage 15 in the 2014 Tour de France. Photo / Getty Images
They built a lead of nine minutes before the domestiques of the sprinters set about ruining their ambitions. The sprinters first overcame Elmiger, then a defiant Bauer 30 metres from the line.
Bauer crossed the line distraught, 10th in the midst of the sprinters.
5) Spinning Rhombus goes off the rails
The New Zealand equestrian team were in such a commanding position in the Team Event competition at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics it seemed they'd need a disaster not to walk away with the gold. With Andrew Nicholson the last Kiwi to ride, aboard Spinning Rhombus, he could afford to down seven rails and the team gold medal would still be New Zealand's.
However Nicholson and Spinning Rhombus lost their way with each punishing foul knocking down nine rails in total as New Zealand gave up the gold and finished with silver.
'This is for the match,' the commentator said as Silver Ferns shooter Donna Wilkins (nee Loffhagen) lined up a close range shot in the 1999 Netball World Cup final against rivals Australia. A goal would have put New Zealand up 42-41 with a centre pass to come.
Instead, she missed and Australia grabbed the round. With just 17 seconds left in the final Australia went down the other end to secure victory. Sharelle McMahon scoring with time ending on the clock.
Donna Wilkins (nee Loffhagen) missed a likely World Cup winning goal for the Silver Ferns in 1999. Photo / Photosport
3) Eales, Kefu, Burke...the Wallabies leaving it to the death to retain Bledisloe
2000 - John Eales kicks a penalty after fulltime to lead Wallabies to a 24-23 win over the All Blacks. They retain the Bledisloe Cup.
2001 - Toutai Kefu scores in the final minute to lead Wallabies to a 29-26 win over the All Blacks. They retain the Bledisloe Cup.
2002 - Matt Burke kicks a penalty after fulltime to lead Wallabies to a 16-14 win over the All Blacks. They retain the Bledisloe Cup.
Three years in a row. Three heartbreaking last minute defeats. Yes the All Blacks are rarely the underdogs and haven't given up the Bledisloe Cup since winning it off Australia a year after that '02 defeat but these three consistent losses were very hard to take for New Zealand rugby fans.
2) Oracle pull off miracle comeback
Team New Zealand was in a commanding 8-1 lead at the 2013 America's Cup as it looked like if not when the Auld Mug would be returning to our shores. However Jimmy Spithill and Oracle Team USA produced one of the greatest comebacks in modern sport to deny New Zealand the victory.
Dean Barker and his team needed just one more win and it looked certain when they led race 11 rounding the fourth leg only for the race to be abandoned for exceeding the 40-minute time limit. Oracle then won the next seven straight races, to pull off a remarkable comeback.
Jimmy Spithill led Oracle Team USA to an unlikely comeback in the 2013 America's Cup. Photo / Getty Images
The defeat was softened somewhat when Glenn Ashby and Peter Burling led Team New Zealand to America's Cup glory four years later.
1) Black Caps 'lose' World Cup final
Maybe there's some recency bias in this but today's Super Over 'defeat' to England seems the most devastating of the lot. The Black Caps didn't lose the match but didn't win the trophy.
It also was a cruel last over in the match as well as a cruel Super Over for New Zealand. 14 off the final overlooked too much for England before a Ben Stokes six and four overthrows lead to a thrilling final two balls. The Black Caps did a remarkable job to force a tie from there.
And then in the Super Over, New Zealand needed only five was needed off three balls but couldn't get across the line.
