Lachlan Hammond Ferguson, born on June 13, 1991, is a New Zealand cricketer who represents the New Zealand national team and plays first-class cricket for Auckland. He is known for his searing pace and lethal bouncers, and is one of the world's fastest bowlers to have ever played the game. Ferguson is able to bowl at speeds in excess of 90 mph, with his fastest recorded delivery being 97.7 mph (157.3 km/h).
Ferguson was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and grew up in the nearby suburb of Drury. He is the youngest of three sons. His father, Bruce, was a club cricketer, and his mother, Wendy, played netball. Ferguson attended St Peter's College in Auckland, where he excelled in both cricket and rugby.
Ferguson began playing club cricket for the Drury Cricket Club at a young age. He made his first-class debut for Auckland in the 2012/13 season, and quickly established himself as one of the most exciting young bowlers in New Zealand. In the 2014/15 season, Ferguson took 21 wickets at an average of 23.38, and was named as Auckland's Young Player of the Year.
Ferguson made his international debut for New Zealand in an ODI against Australia in December 2016. He took the wicket of David Warner in his first over, and finished the match with figures of 1/51. Ferguson went on to make his T20I debut for New Zealand in February 2017, and his Test debut in March 2021.
Ferguson has played 61 ODIs for New Zealand, taking 109 wickets at an average of 26.41. He has taken five or more wickets in an ODI on four occasions. His best bowling figures in ODIs are 6/31, which he achieved against Sri Lanka in January 2020.
Ferguson has played 49 T20Is for New Zealand, taking 70 wickets at an average of 23.80. He has taken four or more wickets in a T20I on two occasions. His best bowling figures in T20Is are 4/17, which he achieved against Bangladesh in November 2019.
Ferguson has played 5 Tests for New Zealand, taking 17 wickets at an average of 29.29. He has taken five or more wickets in a Test on one occasion. His best bowling figures in Tests are 5/46, which he achieved against Bangladesh in January 2022.
Ferguson is the second-fastest bowler in the history of the Indian Premier League, with a fastest delivery of 153.4 km/h. He is also the third-fastest bowler in the history of T20Is, with a fastest delivery of 153.5 km/h.
Ferguson has won a number of awards and honors throughout his career, including:
Ferguson has never captained New Zealand at any level.
Ferguson has been involved in a few minor controversies throughout his career. In 2018, he was fined for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during a T20I match against England. He was also fined for breaching the IPL's Code of Conduct during the 2020 season.
Ferguson is married to his wife, Jemma, and they have two children together. He is a passionate fan of rugby union and supports the Auckland Blues.
Ferguson is a highly talented bowler with the potential to be one of the best in the world. He is still relatively young, and has plenty of time to achieve even greater things in his career.