Ireland allrounder Curtis Campher has made cricket history by becoming the first male cricketer in professional cricket to take five wickets in five balls. The record-breaking moment came during the Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy, where Campher represented Munster Reds against North-West Warriors.
Curtis Campher, who also captains the Munster Reds, delivered an incredible spell, finishing with 5 for 16 in just 2.3 overs. His wickets came across his second and third overs, turning the match in Munster’s favour. Warriors, chasing 189, collapsed from 87 for 5 to 88 all out in dramatic fashion.
The sequence began with Jared Wilson, who was bowled by a swinging delivery. Next, Graham Hume was trapped lbw, and Andy McBrine was caught at deep midwicket on the first ball of the following over, completing Campher’s hat-trick. He didn’t stop there. Robbie Millar was caught behind on the next delivery, and Josh Wilson was bowled as Curtis Campher came around the wicket to complete the historic five-in-five.
Reflecting on his record, Campher admitted he didn’t immediately realize what had happened due to the change of overs. He said he stayed focused and kept things simple.
This stunning bowling performance came shortly after Campher returned from a finger injury. In his comeback match earlier in the week, he scored 57 off 35 balls. In the match against the Warriors, he also scored 44 off 24 balls, making his all-round performance even more remarkable.
While Campher is now part of an elite group with four wickets in four balls in T20 Internationals, this five-wicket feat is a new milestone in men’s cricket. However, he is not the first cricketer ever to achieve it. Zimbabwe’s Kelis Ndhlovu holds that honour in women’s domestic cricket.
Still, Curtis Campher’s performance marks a proud moment for Irish cricket and sets a new benchmark in the T20 format.
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