Brett Randell makes cricket history with five wickets in five balls
Brett Randell has etched his name into the record books in spectacular fashion, becoming the first bowler in 254 years of first-class cricket to claim five wickets with five consecutive deliveries, reports BritPanorama.
The 30-year-old New Zealand seamer achieved this remarkable feat while playing for Central Stags against Northern Districts in the Plunket Shield earlier today. Northern Districts, who started the match strong at 4-0, quickly found themselves reeling at 9-5 after Randell’s devastating bowling spell.
Randell’s first wicket fell at the end of his second over, followed by four more dismissals starting from the very first delivery of his third over. He ended the match with impressive figures of 7-25 and became the first player to claim six wickets in just eight balls.
After the historical event, Randell expressed his disbelief, stating, “I’m pretty blown away. The high was pretty crazy, it was like a pinch-me moment.” Initially unaware that he had achieved a historic milestone, he focused on executing his game plan rather than pursuing wickets recklessly. “It gets drummed into us a lot that we don’t want to go searching for wickets,” he explained. “I was trying to just keep bowling the same ball, and our ‘Plan A’ that we’d talked about, and it came off.”
When informed of the rarity of his accomplishment, which has never before occurred in first-class cricket history, he reacted with genuine astonishment: “I had no idea that it was the first time it had happened in the world, it’s seriously cool.” He added, “I mean, I don’t really have any words at the moment, to be honest. I’ll take it.”
While Randell’s achievement is unmatched in first-class cricket, similar feats have been recorded in shorter formats. Ireland’s Curtis Campher previously became the first male cricketer to take five wickets in five balls during a T20 match in July 2025, and Zimbabwe’s Kelis Ndhlovu accomplished this in a domestic under-19 T20 match a year earlier.
The context of Randell’s performance, however, is particularly significant given the long-standing history of first-class cricket, which dates back to 1772, during which no bowler had managed five wickets from five deliveries until now.
Such moments not only etch players into the record books but also remind us how the unexpected can unfold on the pitch, keeping fans and analysts alike on the edge of their seats.
