The 'nice guys' of world cricket have struck again.
Black Caps hero Daryl Mitchell, whose unbeaten 72 off 47 balls helped guide New Zealand to a stunning five-wicket victory over England, has been praised for his act of sportsmanship during the T20 World Cup semifinal this morning.
With34 runs needed to win and three overs to go, Mitchell refused to take an easy single when he bumped into Adil Rashid, feeling that he had got in the way of the England bowler.
Jimmy Neesham had lobbed the first ball of the 18th over towards Mitchell who was at the non-striker's end, forcing Mitchell to rush back towards his crease to avoid being run out. In doing so, Mitchell inadvertently got in the way of Rashid, with the ball going past both players.
After spotting an opportunity for a single, Neesham rushed down the wicket looking for a quick run but Mitchell raised his glove indicating he wasn't interested.
Adil Rashid of England collides with Black Caps' Daryl Mitchell. Photo / Getty
Mitchell, who was named man of the match after leading the Black Caps to the final, explained after the game that he felt that it was his fault and didn't want to cause controversy by sneaking a run.
"I felt I probably got in the way of Rashid a little bit," Mitchell said.
"I didn't want to be that guy that caused a bit of controversy. We all play the game in good spirit and I just felt like probably it was my fault.
"As opposed to taking the run, it was probably best to start again and carry on and lucky that it didn't make a difference."
Mitchell's decision ended up paying off for the Black Caps as Neesham, who remained on strike after not taking a single, smashed the next ball for six.
Former England captain and cricket commentator Nasser Hussain said the moment "sums up New Zealand cricket".
"That is so New Zealand, it really is," Hussain said while commentating on Sky Sport. "So easy to take a run there, and the non-striker said 'no, I got in the way of Adil'.
"If anything sums up New Zealand cricket, it was that."
Daryl Mitchell reacts after hitting the winning runs. Photo / Photosport
Mitchell's sporting moment typified the Black Caps' reputation over the years as cricket's "nice guys", starting under Brendon McCullum's leadership and continuing during the Kane Williamson era.
The team was widely applauded for the way they handled their heartbreaking defeat in the 2019 ODI World Cup final, and gained more praise - even from disappointed Indian fans - when they finally shed their finals "bridesmaid" tag by beating India in the World Test Championship final earlier this year.
Former international umpire Bruce Oxenford described the Black Caps earlier this week as "amazing", praising the way the team consistently plays within the spirit of the game.
"New Zealand just don't waste energy on things they cannot control," Oxenford said. "It is such a vital thing for all sportspeople. If you start concerning yourself with things that go wrong you can forget about the things that need to go right.
"They can get a 50-50 call against them and they say 'oh well, that is what happens'. If you get a call against them wrong very often they will come up to you and say 'it wasn't right but I would have called it that way too'.
"It's incredible. It gives umpires confidence to umpire the way you think you should. They genuinely wish you well before and during the game. It is nice to be treated like an equal rather than an enemy on the field.
"I think it started when Brendon McCullum took over as captain. He took a lead off the All Blacks and giving respect to the opposition. Controlling what you can control and forgetting about the rest."
As commentator Simon Doull said on air after the World Test Championship win: "Sometimes, just sometimes, nice guys do finish first."
The Black Caps will be hoping the same is true when they face either Australia or Pakistan in the T20 World Cup final on Monday morning.
