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In a historic spell that will be remembered as one of the most remarkable bowling performances in first-class cricket, Brett Randell produced a stunning burst of wickets to claim five scalps in five consecutive deliveries during a Plunket Shield match between Central Districts and Northern Districts at McLean Park.
According to ESPNcricinfo, the 30-year-old fast bowler's extraordinary spell on Day 2 saw him become the first player in the long history of first-class cricket to achieve the unprecedented feat of taking five wickets in five balls. Randell went on to record career-best figures of 7 for 25, completing his seven-wicket haul in just 3.5 overs as Northern Districts collapsed dramatically. Randell's burst began with the dismissal of opener Henry Cooper with the final ball of an over, triggering a sensational collapse. Returning in his next over, he struck immediately again and soon completed a hat-trick as Northern Districts' top order unravelled. The relentless spell continued with two more wickets in consecutive deliveries, leaving the opposition in tatters. Within the space of five balls, Northern Districts crashed from a steady start to a precarious 11 for 7. At one stage, Randell's bowling figures stood at an extraordinary 7 for 4 as he ripped through the batting lineup during a single session. The remarkable spell also placed Randell in another rare statistical category, as he became the first bowler in first-class cricket to claim six wickets in eight deliveries. His seven wickets fell within just 12 balls, a sequence surpassed only once in the format's long history. Northern Districts were eventually bundled out for just 82 runs after Central Districts had earlier posted 373 in their first innings. With a commanding lead of 291 runs, Central Districts captain Tom Bruce enforced the follow-on to maintain pressure on the opposition. Randell's seven-wicket haul now stands among the best bowling performances in Central Districts' first-class history. Only spinner Bryan Yuile's 9 for 100 against Wellington in 1966 remains superior in terms of wicket tally for the side. The spell also marked the eighth hat-trick recorded in Central Districts' first-class history, joining a list that includes bowlers such as Gary Bartlett, Matt Toynbee, Peter Visser, Tim Anderson, Mitch McClenaghan, Kieran Noema-Barnett and Blair Tickner. Five wickets in five balls have previously been recorded in T20 cricket, most notably by Curtis Campher in Ireland's Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy and by Zimbabwe youngster Kelis Ndhlovu in women's domestic T20 cricket, but Randell's achievement marks the first instance in the much longer format of first-class cricket. Interestingly, Randell's inclusion in the match came amid injuries to senior New Zealand bowlers Ajaz Patel and Blair Tickner, making the historic performance even more significant for the Central Districts side. (ANI)
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