Lockie Ferguson (3/0) bowled the most economical spell in T20I history as New Zealand bowled out Papua New Guinea for just 78 in their inconsequential Group C World Cup match on Monday.
Ferguson joined Canada skipper Saad Bin Zafar as only the second bowler in T20I history to bowl all four allotted overs as maidens, returning figures of 4-4-0-3. Zafar had previously achieved this feat with figures of 4-4-0-2.
New Zealand effectively stifled the PNG batters and restricted them to their creases for most of their innings, which concluded in 19.4 overs. In the first half of the innings, the ball found the boundary for a four only four times.
79 to win in Trinidad 🎯
---Advertisement---Lockie Ferguson (3-0 from 4 overs) with the most economical bowling figures in @T20WorldCup history leading the charge with the ball. Watch the chase LIVE in NZ on Sky Sport NZ 📺 LIVE scoring | https://t.co/zAVw361Pxb 📲#T20WorldCup #CricketNation pic.twitter.com/66RrEDuAIf
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) June 17, 2024
Trent Boult (2/14), playing in his last T20 World Cup match, began with a two-run first over. However, it was Tim Southee (2/11) who drew the first blood by getting PNG opener Tony Ura caught at deep backward point.
While Trent Boult didn’t find immediate success with the new ball, Lockie Ferguson struck on his very first ball to have PNG skipper Assad Vala caught at a wide first slip for six. Ferguson continued to trouble the opposition batters to such an extent that PNG could not score a run off his first three overs.
The right-arm pacer had further success when he trapped Charles Amini (17) in front of the wickets for his third wicket. Mitchell Santner (1/17) halted the progress of Sese Bau (12), catching him at long on after enticing him to advance down the track and play a loose shot.
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Still without conceding a run, Ferguson found an inside edge off Chad Soper’s (1) bat that crashed into the stumps after Soper awkwardly dangled his bat away from his pads.
Ferguson finished his spell without conceding a run, joining Zafar as the second bowler to bowl all four maidens in a T20I match, Zafar having done so in November 2021 against Panama in the T20 World Cup Americas Region Qualifier.
Boult returned to the attack to pick up his first wicket of the contest, cleaning up Hiri Hiri (7), while Tim Southee dismissed wicketkeeper-batter Kiplin Doriga (5) in the following over.
After working hard for success in his initial three overs, Ish Sodhi (2/29) claimed a couple of wickets to wrap up the PNG innings in the final over.
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