WATCH: England win stunning Cricket World Cup final after Ben Stokes heroics and Super Over break New Zealand hearts

• Scroll down for match highlights and reaction
• Click here for over-by-over recap
• 2019 Cricket World Cup results and reports
• Eoin Morgan and Ben Stokes reaction

It seemed as though nothing could separate them from New Zealand, with the sides battling to an unprecedented tie, both sides locked on 241 after 100 overs of nerve-shredding tension that cast Ben Stokes as the home side's hero of the hour.

That paved the way for a super over, a six-ball shoot-out that had only occurred 11 times in international history and never before in an ODI.

Incredibly, the teams went blow-for-blow once again, Stokes and Jos Buttler hitting 15 off Trent Boult before Jofra Archer conceded 14 off his first five deliveries.

The Barbados-born bowler, the least experienced player on either side, held his nerve as Martin Guptill forced the ball into the off-side and came back for a second that would have taken the trophy.

Enter Jason Roy, who picked up cleanly despite unimaginable pressure and hurled a flat, decisive throw towards Buttler, who scattered the stumps as Guptill scrambled.

Tied once again, England triumphed on account of boundaries scored in the original 50-over match, a technocratic decider in a contest that proved impossible to settle any other way.

In the end England's 22 fours and two sixes proved the difference, besting the Black Caps' tally of 14 and two but they are just numbers, and do scant justice to the emotional, occasionally controversial and endlessly replayable events that played out on this famous ground.

Rarely has the tension at this storied stadium reached such emphatic peaks and rarely has a winning team celebrated with such gusto, the game and all the prizes that go with it having seemingly disappeared from their grasp on several occasions.

After 44 years and 12 editions England finally lifted the trophy, Eoin Morgan's side securing their legacy in front of 30,000 captivated fans, a mass gathering at Trafalgar Square and on television in homes up and down the country.

The national side were back on a free-to-air terrestrial platform for the first time since the halcyon days of 2005 and they did not miss their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to match the achievements of their female counterparts, who became world champions at the home of cricket two summers ago.

Any new fans who were enthralled by what they saw, and surely there were many, will need to be told they may never see its like again.

Morgan will now take his place on the pantheon of great England captains, nestling alongside Bobby Moore and Martin Johnson, and going one better than the runners-up medals secured by Mike Brearley (1979), Mike Gatting (1987) and Graham Gooch (1992).

His leadership has been imperious for four years but the final hurdle was cleared by others. Liam Plunkett's name may fall down the agenda after the late drama but he was the key to keeping New Zealand down to a gettable 241 for eight.

The 34-year-old seamer boasts a 100 per cent record in the tournament, with all three of England's group-stage defeats coming in his absence, and this was his crowning moment.

He took the key wicket of Kane Williamson for 30, with a superb cross-seamer that kicked outside off stump and added two more to claim three for 40.

Chris Woakes was key too, taking three of his own and setting the tone with a wonderful new-ball spell that belied any nerves and there was one apiece for Mark Wood and Archer.

A huge lbw shout against Jason Roy from the first ball of the reply hinted it would not be easy and the big-hitting top order proved unable to manage tricky conditions and disciplined attack.

Spooked by the occasion, or their opponents, they slipped to 86 for four at almost halfway, and needed a calm, collected stand of 110 between Stokes and Buttler. The latter fell for 59 but Stokes would finish on 84 not out, the centrepiece of the coming storm.

With eight balls to go and hope fading Stokes hoisted Jimmy Neesham down the ground. Boult was underneath it holding the initial chance before flicking it off to Guptill as he crossed the ropes.

His presence of mind was impressive but his synapses were a beat behind, his foot touching the boundary marker before he offloaded. Stokes had six and England had a chance.

It was still a fleeting one though, with 15 needed off the last six balls from New Zealand's most bankable bowler, Boult.

England's prospects receded sharply after Stokes hit the in-field twice, taking the equation firmly into do-or-die territory. Finally, thrillingly, unbelievably, Stokes seized the moment.

He clubbed the next ball for six, high and handsome over wide long on, then sprinted for two off the next, diving to beat Guptill's throw and inadvertently steering the ball to the ropes.

For a moment there was confusion, Stokes holding his arms out by way of apology as New Zealand's fielders wrestled with disbelief and outrage. Even then the drama was only half complete, New Zealand incredibly pulling off two run-outs in a row to end the game in a tie.

Stokes and Buttler resumed for the historic super over, both hitting a boundary as they set a winning target of 16, leaving the stage to Archer.

A six from Neesham swung the pendulum once more but Archer finished well before Roy and Buttler combined for a run out that will live forever.

England v New Zealand: Match reaction

Man-of-the-match Ben Stokes: "I'm pretty lost for words. All that hard work for four years and now to be stood here as champions of the world, it's an amazing feeling.

"This is where we aspired to be and to manage to come here and do it in such a good game, I don't think there will ever be a better game of cricket in history than that."

On the incident late in the final over of the 50 which saw him diving to beat Martin Guptill's throw, inadvertently steering the ball to the ropes for four runs: "Playing against New Zealand is always tough, they're a seriously good team. We had some luck at times and I said to Kane (Williamson) that I will be apologising for what happened for the rest of my life."

On Jofra Archer's bowling: "It's moments like that you live for as a professional cricketer and the new kid on the block, Jofra Archer, I backed him all the way.

"The talent he's got is incredible, and he's showed it on the world stage."

England captain Eoin Morgan: "There wasn't a lot in that game. I'd like to congratulate New Zealand for the way they played. The spirit and fight they showed are worth aspiring to, and the example they lead is commendable.

"We were up against it but Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes put together a partnership that we really needed.

"This has been a four-year journey and we have developed a lot over those four years, but particularly in the last two.

"We find it hard to play on wickets like that - as many good teams around the world do - but it was about playing cricket to get over the line and we managed to do that and it means the world to us."

New Zealand captain and player of the tournament Kane Williamson on whether the Super Over rules are fair: "I never thought I'd have to answer that question. While the emotions are raw it's pretty hard to swallow.

"Two teams have worked really hard to get to this moment in time. So when two attempts to separate them with a winner and a loser still didn't perhaps shine, it just is what it is.

"The rules are there are the start. No one probably thought we'd have to resort to that. But it was a great game of cricket.

"Everyone is still here, they want more. But we're looking forward to putting our feet up now and reflecting on the tournament."

On Stokes' fortune "The rule has been there for a long time. I don't think anything like that has ever happened. But you can't look at that and think that perhaps that decided the match.

"There were so many other pieces to that game that were so important. It was a pretty tough pill to swallow that, yeah, when we were looking pretty likely with Trent bowling pretty well."

How both teams reached the final

GROUP STAGE STANDINGS

Played | Won | Lost | No Result | Tied | Net Run Rate | Points

1. India P 9 W 7 L 1 N/R 1 T 0 NRR +0.809 Pts 15
2. Australia P 9 W 7 L 2 N/R 0 T 0 NRR +0.868 Pts 14
3. England P 9 W 6 L 3 N/R 0 T 0 NRR +1.152 Pts 12
4. New Zealand P 9 W 5 L 3 N/R 1 T 0 NRR +0.175 Pts 11
5. Pakistan P 9 W 5 L 3 N/R 1 T 0 NRR -0.430 Pts 11
6. Sri Lanka P 9 W 3 L 4 N/R 2 T 0 NRR -0.919 Pts 8
7. South Africa P 9 W 3 L 5 N/R 1 T 0 NRR -0.030 Pts 7
8. Bangladesh P 9 W 3 L 5 N/R 1 T 0 NRR -0.410 Pts 7
9. West Indies P 9 W 2 L 6 N/R 1 T 0 NRR -0.225 Pts 5
10. Afghanistan P 9 W 0 L 9 N/R 0 T 0 NRR -1.322 Pts 0

England's matches

(Click on the result for the report)

May 30 - England v South Africa, the Oval - England win by 104 runs

June 3 - England v Pakistan, Trent Bridge - Pakistan win by 14 runs

June 8 - England v Bangladesh, Cardiff - England win by 106 runs

June 14 - England v West Indies, Rose Bowl - England win by eight wickets

June 18 - England v Afghanistan, Old Trafford - England beat Afghanistan by 150 runs

June 21 - England v Sri Lanka, Headingley - Sri Lanka win by 20 runs

June 25 - England v Australia, Lord's - Australia win by 64 runs

June 30 - England v India, Edgbaston - England win by 31 runs

July 3 - England v New Zealand - England win by 119 runs

Knockout stage

July 11 - Australia v England, Edgbaston - England beat Australia by eight wickets

New Zealand's matches

(Click on the result for the report)

June 1 - New Zealand v Sri Lanka, Cardiff - New Zealand win by 10 wickets

June 5 - Bangladesh v New Zealand, the Oval - New Zealand win by two wickets

June 8 - Afghanistan v New Zealand, Taunton - New Zealand win by seven wickets

June 13 - India v New Zealand, Trent Bridge - Match abandoned

June 19 - New Zealand v South Africa, Edgbaston - New Zealand won by four wickets

June 22 - New Zealand v West Indies, Old Trafford - New Zealand won by 5 runs

June 26 - New Zealand v Pakistan, Edgbaston - Pakistan win by six wickets

June 29 - Australia v New Zealand, Lord's - Australia win by 86 runs

July 3 - England v New Zealand - England win by 119 runs

Knockout stage

July 9 - India v New Zealand, Old Trafford - New Zealand win by 18 runs

England's other great cricket moments this century

2005 Ashes

Thousands took to the streets for an open-top bus parade as the players, who were by their own admission slightly worse for wear, had an audience with then Prime Minister Tony Blair to celebrate a truly momentous achievement. Australia were at their peak of their powers, a number of all-time greats in their squad, but in one seminal summer England matched them. A breathtaking see-saw series saw Michael Vaughan's side prevail 2-1 as they regained the urn to end 18 years of misery against their oldest rivals. The contest and the aftermath are viewed as halcyon days for English cricket and for good reason - an estimated eight million viewers are said to have watched the climax at The Oval on Channel 4, numbers that have not been seen since.

2010 World Twenty20

Rejoice, for Paul Collingwood is no longer the only England captain to hoist aloft a global trophy. This was the one occasion where tinkering with the line-up before a tournament actually bore fruit. Michael Lumb and Craig Kieswetter elbowed their way in as openers and were able to regularly lay a platform in the Caribbean. Kevin Pietersen was player of the tournament, consistently delivering either side of a trip home for the birth of his son, while Ryan Sidebottom's left-arm seam was a point of difference for England, who used slower-ball bouncers to great effect. They needed a bit of luck, edging out Ireland in the first group stage on net run-rate alone, but gradually built a head of steam, culminating in a seven-wicket thrashing of Australia in the Barbados final.

2010/11 Ashes

Waking up to news of England's meek surrender Down Under is a right of passage for any cricket fan from these isles. Australia is often regarded as the final frontier for England but Andrew Strauss' side came, saw and conquered in a winter beset by snow back home. England fans, though, were kept warm by a sequence of scarcely believable numbers - 766, 517 for one, and 98 all out among them. If you know, you know. A 3-1 series victory barely reflected England's dominance, Australia were spared complete embarrassment by a reversal of fortunes in Perth which quickly ended once they got to Melbourne. The scenes of the side performing the 'Sprinkler' in unison at a near empty Sydney Cricket Ground live long in the memory.

Topping the Test rankings

From the wreckage of Jamaica 2009, woefully bowled out for 51, came the determination to become the best Test side in the world. Under the shrewd leadership axis of coach Andy Flower and captain Strauss, they realised their aim by whitewashing India 4-0 four years later, leapfrogging the Asian giants to get their hands on the Test mace. A settled top five - Strauss, Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Pietersen and Ian Bell - compiled the 'daddy hundreds' while James Anderson and Stuart Broad perfected bowling dry. Graeme Swann, meanwhile, was perhaps the best spinner in the world during this period. England were removed from their perch by South Africa the following year as bonhomie gave way to ill-feeling within the camp.

Beating India in India

The dust had barely settled on Pietersen's 'reintegration', coming back into the line-up for England's first Test series under the stewardship of Cook. They made an inauspicious start in Ahmedabad, the saving grace in a nine-wicket defeat their new leader's mammoth 176, showing the rest of England's order how to bat. Cook would finish a remarkable 2-1 series victory with 562 runs but was overshadowed in Mumbai, where Pietersen's 186 is often held up as the finest innings by a foreigner in India. Swann and Monty Panesar contributed 37 wickets between them while Anderson's back-breaking contributions were held up as the difference between the sides by no lesser an authority than India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.