How it unfolded
New Zealand finished on 241 for 8 in 50 overs behind Henry Nicholls' 55. England slipped to 86 for 4 before Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler added 110 to revive the innings. Needing 15 off the final over bowled by Trent Boult, Stokes dived for a second run on the fourth ball and the throw from Martin Guptill deflected off his bat and ran away for four, with the overthrow bringing 6 runs total. Stokes finished unbeaten on 84, and England was bowled out for exactly 241 in 49.4 overs — a tie. For the first time ever, a World Cup final went to a Super Over. England scored 15 with Stokes and Buttler; New Zealand also scored 15 with James Neesham and Guptill. Off the final ball, Buttler took a throw from Jason Roy and ran out Guptill. Under the rules, England won on having hit more boundaries over the course of the match, 26 to 17. Umpire Kumar Dharmasena later admitted the overthrow should have been ruled 5 runs, not 6.
Why it still matters
England's first ODI World Cup title, decided by a method that changed the rules themselves. The ICC scrapped the boundary countback rule that October and replaced it with repeated Super Overs until a winner emerges. The final also marked the peak of England's white-ball rebuild after three lost finals between 1979 and 2015, vindicating the aggressive approach the team adopted after 2015.