New Zealand bowler Lockie Ferguson praised the bowling conditions at Brian Lara Stadium after his historic spell of 4-4-0-3 against Papua New Guinea in the T20 World Cup amidst the disappointment of an early exit from the T20 World Cup. Ferguson's performance was nothing short of magical as he registered the most economical bowling figures in the history of the ICC T20 World Cup, and became only the second bowler in T20Is to bowl 24 dot balls without conceding a run. His sensational spell was instrumental in restricting PNG to a mere 78 runs, with every New Zealand bowler chipping in to take wickets. Lockie Ferguson Enters ICC Record Books As New Zealand End T20 World Cup 2024 Campaign With Seven-Wicket Win Over Papua New Guinea.

Reflecting on the match, Ferguson appreciated the challenging nature of the wicket. The bowler acknowledged that such days are rare and cherished the opportunity to exploit the conditions.

"Yeah, no, no runs today. But yeah, look, obviously a tough wicket to bat on. Coming from the IPL, where there were a lot of runs being scored, it's nice to have a wicket like that for a change. It was just one of those days. You could see when our boys went on it as well. So I guess from a bowling point of view, nice to be able to bowl on wickets like that. But I can't see it happening too many times." he said in a video posted by the ICC on their social media.

Despite his personal success, Ferguson was candid about the team's premature exit from the tournament. He expressed his disappointment while also praising his teammate Trent Boult, who played his final T20 World Cup match.

"Look, I love playing for New Zealand. I'm just really gutted we got knocked out the way we did. But at the same time, really enjoyed playing with this group of guys. Obviously, Boulty with his last game today. It's going to be sad not having him with the group, but it’s been an incredible career and certainly been nice to sort of follow him in every game. So, I wish him all the best," he said. Lockie Ferguson Wins Man of the Match Award in New Zealand vs Papua New Guinea ICC T20 World Cup 2024 Group C Match.

Ferguson's sentiments reflected a bittersweet moment for the team as they bid farewell to Boult, a stalwart of New Zealand cricket. "It's a tough one. Now we're sort of going apart as a team for a few months. So, naturally, you're gonna miss your good mates and look forward to touching base later in the year," he said.

New Zealand chased down the modest target set by PNG with ease, reaching 79-3 within 13 overs.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 18, 2024 01:21 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).