New Zealand domestic cricketer Brett Randell has created history by becoming the first player in 254 years of first-class cricket to take five wickets in five consecutive deliveries.
Randell achieved the remarkable feat while playing for Central Districts against Northern Districts during a Plunket Shield four-day match at McLean Park in Napier on Sunday.
The right-arm seamer began his record-breaking spell by bowling Henry Cooper with the final ball of his second over. He then dismissed former New Zealand Test batsman Jeet Raval at the start of his next over before claiming three more wickets with successive deliveries.
Randell’s historic fifth wicket came when Kristian Clarke was bowled, completing the unprecedented sequence. He went on to take two additional wickets in the following over to finish with career-best figures of 7-25.
Northern Districts were eventually bowled out for 82 runs in response to Central Districts’ first-innings total of 373.
Cricket statisticians say the extraordinary achievement has no precedent in first-class cricket records dating back to 1772, when the earliest recognised first-class match was played.
The 30-year-old bowler’s performance is being hailed as one of the most extraordinary spells in cricket history.