New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson made history in the T20 World Cup 2024 by delivering a record-breaking spell against Papua New Guinea.
In a phenomenal performance, Ferguson bowled four consecutive maiden overs, claiming three crucial wickets without conceding a single run, a first in the tournament’s history.
Lockie Ferguson’s remarkable spell began with the early dismissal of Papua New Guinea’s skipper Assad Vala, who fell for 6 runs. He continued his dominant display by removing Charles Amini and Chad Soper for 17 and 1 runs respectively.
This extraordinary performance by the 33-year-old pacer helped New Zealand secure a much-needed victory, although they did not advance further in the tournament.
Lockie Ferguson Reflects on his historic spell in the T20 World Cup 2024
Talking about his performance and New Zealand’s campaign, Ferguson spoke during the post-match presentation after receiving the Player of the Match award. He acknowledged the challenging nature of the Brian Lara Stadium pitch in Trinidad, which favored bowlers, making it tough for batsmen to gauge a par score.
“Tough wicket to bat on, nice to bowl on a wicket like that. Sad to be leaving today with such high hopes but that’s the game,” Ferguson remarked. “There’s not many games in T20s where I bowl seam-up all the way through and it was nice to get the win. It’s hard to know what a par total on these sorts of wickets. We have bowled well and put teams under pressure, going down against Afghanistan and West Indies cost us but that’s sport and we need to get back again. It’s always a party in the Caribbean and nice to have schoolkids watching on.”
New Zealand bowled out Papua New Guinea for 78 runs in 19.4 overs, successfully defending their target and securing the win by seven wickets within 12.2 overs.
This victory marked New Zealand’s second win in the ninth edition of the T20 World Cup. Despite their early exit from the tournament, Ferguson’s spell will be remembered as a historic achievement in T20 cricket.
