Lockie Ferguson | Source: X.com
New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson etched his name in history on Monday, June 17th. He became the first bowler in men’s T20 cricket to bowl a four-over spell and pick up more than two wickets without conceding a single run.
Ferguson’s phenomenal spell of four maiden overs came against Papua New Guinea in their Group C match of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. This wasn’t just any record-breaking performance.
Ferguson’s effort also stands as the most economical bowling figure in a Men’s T20 World Cup match across the tournament’s nine editions.
Interestingly, he’s only the second bowler after Canada’s Saad Bin Zafar to achieve the feat of bowling four maidens in a T20I. Zafar accomplished this against Panama in Coolidge back in November 2021.
Lockie Ferguson was introduced as the first-change bowler after Trent Boult and Tim Southee started the attack following a delayed toss at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad. He wasted no time making an impact, grabbing a wicket with the very first ball of his spell.
The big scalp of PNG captain Asad Vala, caught in the slips after being forced to play away from his body, set the tone for Ferguson’s dominance. He continued his rampage by breaking a threatening 27-run stand for the third wicket.
Charles Amini, who looked promising at 17 off 25 balls, became Ferguson’s second victim. The Kiwi pacer wasn’t done yet. In his very next over, he sent Chad Soper packing for just 1 run, dismantling PNG’s lower middle order.
Most economical spells in men’s T20 World Cup:
3/0: Lockie Ferguson (NZ) vs PNG, Tarouba, 20243/4: Tim Southee (NZ) vs UGA, Tarouba, 20242/4: Frank Nsubuga (UGA) vs PNG, Guyana, 20244/7: Anrich Nortje (SA) vs SL, New York, 20242/7: Trent Boult (NZ) vs UGA, Tarouba, 2024
