In the final T20 World Cup match of New Zealand’s campaign, Lockie Ferguson bowled a remarkable four overs without giving up a single run against Papua New Guinea. Ferguson became the only player in the tournament to achieve this remarkable achievement by taking three vital wickets during his match.
After Kane Williamson decided to bowl in the rain-delayed match at Tarouba, Ferguson came on in the fifth over of PNG’s innings. On the first ball of the game, he took a wicket and sent the PNG’s captain Assad Vala, out for six. Ferguson’s skills showed major difficulties for the PNG hitters who were unprepared for a much superior opponent in New Zealand.
After the Powerplay, Ferguson carried on from the other end and bowled another maiden, this time to Sese Bau, continuing to mix up his lengths to cause problems for the hitter. When Ferguson returned in the 12th over, he made an immediate impression once more, dismissing Charles Amini for 17 on his second ball.
Two runs were scored off the third ball in his fourth over, but they were leg-byes, therefore they were not included in Ferguson’s final total. Eventually, he achieved the amazing feat in the shortest format by dismissing Chad Soper for 1 and bowling a fourth maiden.
Ferguson became only the second bowler in T20I history to achieve this milestone. Canada’s Saad Bin Zafar was the first to deliver four maidens in a T20I. In a T20 World Cup qualifier against Panama, he accomplished this accomplishment. With three wickets in his bowling time, Ferguson has now surpassed Zafar’s previous record of two wickets taken.
4️⃣ OVERS 4️⃣ MAIDENS 🤯
Lockie Ferguson becomes the first bowler in Men's #T20WorldCup history to bowl four maidens in a match 👏#NZvPNG | Read On ➡️ https://t.co/FAMNFlxbvi pic.twitter.com/ryUlq9BOkW
— ICC (@ICC) June 17, 2024
Most Maidens in T20I Innings
| Rank | Player | Team | Maidens | Opponent | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lockie Ferguson | New Zealand | 4 | PNG | 2024 |
| 2 | Saad Bin Zafar | Canada | 4 | Panama | 2021 |
| 3 | George Sesay | Sierra Leone | 3 | Mali | 2023 |
| 4 | Nopphon Senamontree | Thailand | 3 | Maldives | 2024 |
Most Maidens in a T20 World Cup Innings
| Rank | Player | Team | Maidens | Opponent | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lockie Ferguson | New Zealand | 4 | PNG | 2024 |
| 2 | Ajantha Mendis | Sri Lanka | 2 | Zimbabwe | 2012 |
| 3 | Harbhajan Singh | India | 2 | England | 2012 |
| 4 | Tanzib Hasan Sakib | Bangladesh | 2 | Nepal | 2024 |
New Zealand at the T20 World Cup
With their elimination from the competition already, the Kiwis’ effort has been unsatisfactory overall. Afghanistan and the West Indies were the teams the Kane Williamson-led team lost to in its group, which confirmed its early elimination from the competition.
The team’s top pacer Trent Boult announced ahead of their last Twenty20 International match against PNG that he will be retiring after the World Cup.
