New Zealand’s Lockie Ferguson made history in the ICC T20 World Cup with an extraordinary bowling performance against Papua New Guinea on Monday. During the match at Tarouba, Ferguson bowled a full quota of four overs, taking three wickets without conceding a single run. This remarkable feat marks the most economical spell ever recorded in T20I cricket, surpassing even Saad Bin Zafar’s memorable performance of two wickets for zero runs against Panama in 2021.
New Zealand, opting to bowl first after winning the toss, restricted Papua New Guinea to 78 all out in 19.4 overs. Apart from Ferguson’s exceptional bowling, Tim Southee (2/11), Trent Boult (2/14), Ish Sodhi (2/29), and Mitchell Santner (1/17) also contributed significantly with the ball for the Kiwis.
Despite a challenging tournament with losses to West Indies and Afghanistan, New Zealand remains hopeful of improving their standing in Group C with a win in this crucial match. Their lineup for the game included Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson (captain), Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, and Trent Boult.
Papua New Guinea’s XI featured Tony Ura, Assad Vala (captain), Charles Amini, Sese Bau, Hiri Hiri, Chad Soper, Kiplin Doriga (wicketkeeper), Norman Vanua, Alei Nao, Kabua Morea, and Semo Kamea.
This match not only highlighted Ferguson’s exceptional bowling prowess but also underlined New Zealand’s determination to bounce back in the tournament despite earlier setbacks.