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A spin web impossible to escape! Rangana Herath’s 5/3 that crushed New Zealand in 2014

Poulomi Chakraborty

Rangana Herath’s magical fifer (Source: @ICC/x.com)Rangana Herath’s magical fifer (Source: @ICC/x.com)

Since the T20 format first stepped into the cricket world, fans remained mesmerized by some of the explosive knocks, but there are some huddle gems. While towering sixes fire up the crowd, it’s the magical spells and iconic wickets that turn matches into unforgettable dramas.

When the T20 World Cup hit the stage, bowlers showed they could change the game in an instant, and Rangana Herath did just that. During the T20 World Cup 2014, the Sri Lankan spinner registered an outstanding fifer while conceding just three runs. Let’s rewind to that unforgettable night when Herath’s brilliance left the entire world in shock.

Sri Lanka falter under the pressure of ferocious Kiwi bowling

Whenever a new edition of the T20 World Cup arrives, fans expect some more thrills, and the tournament never disappoints. Among its countless unforgettable moments, the 2014 edition delivered something truly special that took the drama to another level. In the 30th group stage match, Sri Lanka faced New Zealand, and the world saw the domination of Sri Lanka’s spin attack.

After winning the toss, New Zealand forced Sri Lanka to bat first, and the Kiwi bowlers gave a dominating start. After Trent Boult removed Kusal Perera and Tillakaratne Dilshan, pressure mounted on them as they failed to stitch any impactful partnership.

Apart from Mahela Jayawardene and Lahiru Thirimane’s 25 and 20-run innings, no other Sri Lankan batters got the chance to turn the tide. Exploiting the conditions perfectly, Trent Boult and James Neesham ran riot with three wickets apiece, while Mitchell McClenaghan chipped in with two crucial scalps. With that, they restricted Sri Lanka to 119 runs.

Herath spins the trap, and New Zealand get caught

Chasing the target, New Zealand treated it like a simple run-a-ball task until Sri Lanka’s bowlers flipped the script with sheer brilliance. After Martin Guptill walked away with a bizarre run out, ace Rangana Herath made his first mark, removing Brendon McCullum in a five-ball duck.

Coming back to attack in the 6th over, he removed Ross Taylor. In the very next delivery, Herath dismissed James Neesham, and the Kiwis landed in their worst nightmare. After sending Luke Ronchi back in the eighth over, the Kiwis collapsed to five wickets for just 29 runs. Though Herath already had four, he was far from done.

Every time the Kiwis looked for a fightback, Sri Lanka’s bowlers crushed their hopes. In the 16th over, Herath made his final mark, removing Trent Boult in just three runs. With that, New Zealand ended their innings in just 60 runs, and Rangana Herath registered a remarkable fifer.

What makes this spell truly unforgettable?

The cricketing arena has witnessed countless jaw-dropping bowling performances, but one question still stands out: What truly made Rangana Herath’s fifer against New Zealand so special? The world saw his spin magic, but his economical bowling effort went unnoticed. In 3.3 overs of his bowling spell, he conceded two maiden overs.

He finished with a magical five-wicket haul while conceding just three runs at an unreal economy of 0.85, numbers that still feel unbelievable. The T20 World Cup witnessed uncountable bowling spells as some bowlers even took more than five wickets, but Rangana Herath’s 5/3 is still one of the best bowling spells in the tournament's history.