Hey there, cricket fans! Imagine stepping onto a sun-soaked field in the Caribbean, where the air hums with excitement and the crowd’s cheers echo like ocean waves. That’s the vibe we had on June 17, 2024, at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad, for one of the most memorable matches of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. It was the 39th game of the tournament, pitting the underdog Papua New Guinea National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Match Scorecard. If you’re new to cricket or just love a good story, stick around—I’ll break it all down in simple words, like we’re chatting over a cup of tea. We’ll dive into the teams, the nail-biting action, and of course, a full scorecard table to make it super easy to follow. By the end, you’ll feel like you were right there in the stands.
Cricket isn’t just about scores; it’s about heart, strategy, and those “what if” moments that keep us hooked. This match was a perfect example—PNG, a plucky associate nation from the Pacific, dreaming big against NZ, a team full of World Cup winners. Rain delayed the start by 45 minutes, turning the pitch into a tricky beast that gripped the ball like a stubborn handshake. But boy, did it deliver drama! New Zealand won by 7 wickets, chasing down a modest total with 46 balls to spare. Yet, it wasn’t just a walkover; PNG fought tooth and nail, and NZ’s bowlers scripted a bit of history. Let’s rewind and relive it step by step.
The Teams: Underdogs Meet the Giants
First off, a quick intro to the squads. The Papua New Guinea Barramundis are like that scrappy kid in school who punches above their weight. Cricket in PNG is growing fast, with the sport blending into their vibrant culture—think village games under coconut trees evolving into international dreams. Led by captain Assad Vala, a steady all-rounder with a knack for calm under pressure, PNG entered the World Cup as East Asia-Pacific qualifiers. Their squad mixed experience (like opener Tony Ura’s explosive batting) with raw talent (bowler Kabua Morea’s fiery pace). They hadn’t won a single game in the tournament yet, but they’d pushed giants like West Indies close. Key players? Sese Bau for his middle-order grit and Norman Vanua for those handy overs.
On the flip side, the New Zealand Black Caps are cricket royalty—consistent, clever, and oh-so-clinical. Coached by Gary Stead, they boast a lineup that’s seen it all: from Kane Williamson’s silky captaincy to Trent Boult’s wily swing bowling (this was his last T20 World Cup game—bittersweet!). Finn Allen and Devon Conway open with fireworks, while spinners like Mitchell Santner add mystery. NZ started the tournament strong but stumbled against Afghanistan and West Indies, making this match a must-win to keep Super Eights hopes alive. Spoiler: It came too late. But their depth shone through, with Lockie Ferguson emerging as the hero we’ll talk about soon.
Toss time! Williamson called heads and won, opting to bowl first. Smart move on a damp pitch that favored seamers. PNG’s innings kicked off under cloudy skies, and what followed was a masterclass in demolition.
The Match Unfolds: PNG’s Brave Stand and NZ’s Bowling Blitz
Picture this: PNG opener Tony Ura faces Tim Southee, NZ’s veteran seamer with over 400 international wickets. The first ball nips back, and Ura edges it straight to Glenn Phillips at slip—gone for a duck! Just like that, PNG at 0/1. League Ura’s partner, Assad Vala, tried to steady the ship, but Lockie Ferguson entered the chat. Oh man, Ferguson was on fire. In an era of boundary-hitting T20s, he bowled four straight maidens—yes, four overs without a single run! That’s 24 dot balls of pure pressure, picking up 3 wickets for zero runs. It’s only the second time in T20I history someone’s done that, joining Canada’s Saad Bin Zafar in the record books.
PNG crawled to 50/6 by the 15th over, thanks to a gritty 17 from Charles Amini and a quick 14 from Norman Vanua. But Trent Boult, in his farewell dance, snared two late blows, and the spinners—Rachin Ravindra and Santner—chipped in with wickets. Extras (those pesky wides and no-balls) added 23 runs, almost a quarter of PNG’s total. In the end, they folded for 78 all out in 19.4 overs. It was their lowest T20 World Cup score, but credit to them—they never gave up. Vala later said, “The bowlers were challenging; we need to improve, but we’re learning.” Heartbreaking, yet inspiring for a nation where cricket is still finding its feet.
Now, the chase. NZ needed 79 in 20 overs—easy on paper, but those World Cup nerves! Kabua Morea, PNG’s young gun, struck gold early. He had Rachin Ravindra caught for 4, then Finn Allen LBW for 2. At 13/2 in three overs, PNG fans dared to dream. Enter Devon Conway and skipper Kane Williamson. Conway, with his monk-like focus, anchored with 35 off 32 balls—patient taps and the odd drive. Williamson added 18, grinding it out like a true pro.
Daryl Mitchell then turned it on, smashing 19 off 12 with a couple of fours that kissed the boundary rope. A brief scare when Williamson holed out, but Glenn Phillips (1*) and Mitchell sealed it calmly. NZ romped home at 79/3 in just 12.2 overs. Ferguson grabbed Player of the Match for his unreal spell, grinning in the post-game chat: “Not many T20s where you bowl seam-up all four overs—it felt good!” Williamson praised his bowlers: “We executed our plans; it’s tough to say goodbye to Trent, but that’s cricket.”
Stats from the game? Ferguson’s economy of 0.00 is the best in T20 World Cup history for a four-over spell. NZ’s four maidens? A tournament record. PNG’s fightback with two early wickets showed their potential— they nearly defended 78! Rain stayed away post-delay, and 6,000 fans (including excited schoolkids) lapped it up. For SEO folks reading this (wink), keywords like “PNG vs NZ scorecard 2024” and “T20 World Cup match highlights” are buzzing— this game had it all.
Full Match Papua New Guinea National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Match Scorecard: At a Glance
To make it crystal clear, here’s the complete scorecard in a simple table. I’ve broken it into batting and bowling for both innings. No jargon overload—just runs, wickets, and overs. Perfect for sharing with your grandkids or checking on your phone.
Papua New Guinea Innings
| Batsman | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Ura | c Phillips b Southee | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Assad Vala (c) | c Williamson b Boult | 11 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Charles Amini | lbw b Santner | 17 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 68.00 |
| Sese Bau | c Mitchell b Ferguson | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Hiri Hiri | b Ferguson | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14.29 |
| Kiplin Doriga (wk) | run out (Conway/†) | 6 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 37.50 |
| Chad Soper | c Ravindra b Southee | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Norman Vanua | c Williamson b Boult | 14 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 107.69 |
| Alei Nao | not out | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 20.00 |
| Kabua Morea | b Ravindra | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 12.50 |
| Semo Kamea | b Ferguson | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 12.50 |
| Extras | (lb 4, w 18, nb 1) | 23 | – | – | – | – |
| Total | (all out, 19.4 overs) | 78 | – | – | – | 3.97 rr |
Fall of Wickets: 0-1 (Ura, 0.2 ov), 22-2 (Vala, 6.3 ov), 22-3 (Bau, 6.4 ov), 24-4 (Hiri, 8.2 ov), 33-5 (Doriga, 12.2 ov), 33-6 (Soper, 12.3 ov), 50-7 (Amini, 15.2 ov), 75-8 (Vanua, 17.5 ov), 77-9 (Morea, 18.5 ov), 78-10 (Kamea, 19.4 ov)
New Zealand Bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trent Boult | 4 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 4.00 |
| Tim Southee | 4 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 2.75 |
| Lockie Ferguson | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0.00 |
| Rachin Ravindra | 3.4 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 4.42 |
| Mitchell Santner | 4 | 0 | 18 | 1 | 4.50 |
| Daryl Mitchell | 4 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 3.75 |
New Zealand Innings (Target: 79)
| Batsman | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finn Allen | lbw b Morea | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Devon Conway (wk) | not out | 35 | 32 | 3 | 0 | 109.38 |
| Rachin Ravindra | c Vala b Morea | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 66.67 |
| Kane Williamson (c) | c Vanua b Kamea | 18 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 81.82 |
| Daryl Mitchell | not out | 19 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 158.33 |
| Extras | (lb 1, w 1) | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| Total | (3 wkts, 12.2 overs) | 79 | – | – | – | 6.39 rr |
Fall of Wickets: 6-1 (Allen, 2.1 ov), 13-2 (Ravindra, 2.6 ov), 57-3 (Williamson, 10.3 ov)
Papua New Guinea Bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kabua Morea | 2.2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1.71 |
| Alei Nao | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 5.00 |
| Semo Kamea | 3 | 0 | 23 | 1 | 7.67 |
| Norman Vanua | 2 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 7.50 |
| Chad Soper | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 13.00 |
| Assad Vala | 2 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 7.00 |
Key Moments That Stole the Show
Let’s zoom in on the highlights—because cricket’s magic is in the details. Over 0.2: Southee’s first ball! Ura’s edge, Phillips’ sharp catch. PNG 0/1. Then, overs 6.3-6.4: Boult removes Vala, and Ferguson cleans up Bau—two in two balls, PNG reeling at 22/3.
The real fireworks? Ferguson’s spell from over 7-10. Dot after dot, yorker after yorker. He dismissed Hiri with a searing yorker that uprooted the stumps—PNG frozen at 24/4. By drinks (10 overs), PNG were 36/4, scoreless in 24 balls!
In the chase, Morea’s double strike: Ravindra chipped to cover (13/2), Allen trapped plumb (6/1). PNG roared! But Conway’s cover drive off Nao in over 5—a crisp four that eased nerves. Mitchell’s six over midwicket off Kamea? Pure power, sealing the deal at 12.2 overs.
Umpires Langton Rusere and Chris Brown had a busy day with two reviews—one for Conway’s LBW (not out), another upholding Amini’s demise. No DRS drama, just fair calls.
What It Meant: Beyond the Papua New Guinea National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Match Scorecard
This match was more than numbers. For PNG, it was a learning curve. As associate nations push for full membership, games like this spotlight their growth. Vala noted post-match: “Lots of eyes on us back home—we’ll win more soon.” They’ve since notched wins in qualifiers, like against Guernsey in 2025.
For NZ, a bittersweet sign-off. Out of Super Eights for the first time, but Ferguson’s heroics and Boult’s swansong added gloss. Williamson hinted at T20 retirement: “Priorities shift; reflection time.” It sparked debates on NZ’s white-ball setup heading into 2025 cycles.
Globally, it boosted T20 World Cup’s diversity—PNG’s participation inspired Pacific kids. Viewership spiked, with Caribbean crowds loving the underdog tale. Fun fact: This was the first Papua New Guinea National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Match Scorecard World Cup meeting since 1982 (ODIs), where NZ won by 7 wickets too. History rhymes!
Wrapping Up: Cricket’s Universal Joy
Whew, what a ride! From PNG’s gritty 78 to NZ’s composed chase, this scorecard isn’t just stats—it’s a story of resilience and brilliance. Lockie Ferguson’s 3/0 will be etched in lore, while PNG’s spirit reminds us why cricket transcends borders. Whether you’re 8 or 80, grab a bat, mimic Mitchell’s six, or just cheer from the couch—cricket’s for everyone.
