During their last group stage match in the T20 World Cup 2024, New Zealand secured a 7-wicket victory with an impressive bowling attack from Lockie Ferguson.

New Zealand was knocked out after suffering defeats at the hands of Afghanistan and West Indies in group-stage matches. They won the match against Uganda and were scheduled to play their last group-stage match against Papua New Guinea. Ahead of the final match, Kiwi bowler Trent Boult has confirmed his retirement from T20 World Cup.

Lockie Ferguson was named as the Player of the match after his impressive four maiden overs with three wickets against Papua New Guinea. While speaking in a post-match conference, “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. 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 sort 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 a party always in the Caribbean and nice to have schoolkids watching on.”

Coming to the match, the rain delayed the toss. Despite the delay, the match didn’t lose overs. New Zealand won the toss and opted to bowl. Tony Ura and Assad Vala opened the innings while Trent Boult opened the bowling attack.

Bowling the second over, Tim Southee picked the wicket of Tony Ura for one run. He was sent out on a full outswing delivery where Ura moved to the leg side and swung it behind backward points and Phillips ran back to take catch.

With Assad, Vala was sent out for 6 runs by Lockie Ferguson in the fifth over of the match, Papua New Guinea scored only 14 runs. Charles Amini and Sese Bau forged hands to take a partnership stand but Lockie Ferguson struck again as he dismissed Amini for 17 runs.

He was sent out on an lbw and Mitchell Santner picked the wicket of Sese Bau for 12 runs. He was caught off in a delivery where he struck it straight to long on. With Trent Boult dismissed Hiri Hiri for 7 runs Lockie Ferguson picked his third wicket in the match by dismissing Chad Soper for one run. With the dismissal of Kiplin Doriga for 5 runs, Papua New Guinea lost seven wickets for 61 runs.

Norman Vanua scored 14 runs before being dismissed by Boult. Ish Sodhi picked the wickets of Alei Nao and Kabua Morea for 3 and a duck. Papua New Guinea scored 78 runs and lost all 10 wickets with two balls remaining.

With a target of 79, New Zealand openers Finn Allen and Devon Conway opened the innings where the former was sent out on a duck in the second ball of the first over by Kabua Morea.

Kabua Morea bagged the wicket of Rachin Ravindra for 6 runs in the fifth over while Devon Conway continued to bat to score 35 runs. With his dismissal by Semo Kamea, Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell scored 18* and 19* to complete the match in the 13th over. New Zealand scored 79 runs losing three wickets in the 13th over of the match.