In a Plunket Shield match at Napier, Brett Randell created history by becoming the first bowler in first-class cricket to take five wickets in five consecutive balls.
Brett Randell enters record books with five wickets in five balls
Resuming on 347-8, Central Districts were bowled out for 373 on the second morning against Northern Districts. Wicketkeeper Dane Cleaver top-scored with 109, while Scott Kuggeleijn returned 4-90.
ND captain Jeet Raval then opened batting with Henry Cooper, who shouldered arms to the last ball of the third over (Randell’s second) and was bowled. After Raymond Toole bowled his over from the other end, the left-handed Raval shouldered arms and was bowled off the first ball of Cooper’s next over – a near-mirror-image of his partner’s dismissal.
The next ball took off from a good length and went to the big gloves of Cleaver. The umpire ruled Joe Carter caught behind – it gave Randell his hat-trick – but Carter seemed to disagree with the dismissal.
Robert O’Donnell edged the ball after that to Curtis Heaphy in the slip cordon. Kristian Clarke blocked the next ball, but it bounced and rolled back to the stumps, evading Clarke’s desperate attempt to swat it away.
This made Randell the first bowler to take five wickets in five balls in first-class cricket. Soon, he trapped Ben Pomare to make it six in eight balls (another first), and bowled Kuggeleijn to take his seventh wicket in twelve balls.
However, Randell did not get another wicket, and finished with 11-1-25-7. ND, 15-7 at that point, reached 82 but were asked to follow on. They were 162-5 at stumps on day two: Randell’s six overs have gone wicketless.
Match 16, Central Stags vs Northern Districts
vs
- Ball by ball Over
Shortest spells to take X wickets in an innings in first-class cricket
Where data available
| X | Balls | Bowler | Team | Opposition | Venue | Season |
| 4 | 4 | Several: Bob Crisp is the only one to do this twice | ||||
| 5 | 5 | Brett Randell | Central Districts | Northern Districts | Napier | 2025/26 |
| 6 | 8 | Brett Randell | Central Districts | Northern Districts | Napier | 2025/26 |
| 7 | 11 | Pat Pocock | Surrey | Sussex | Eastbourne | 1972 |
| 8 | 23 | Alonzo Drake | Yorkshire | Somerset | Weston-super-Mare | 1914 |
| 9 | 36 | Mark Ilott | Essex | Northamptonshire | Luton | 1995 |
| 10 | 42 | Alonzo Drake | Yorkshire | Somerset | Weston-super-Mare | 1914 |
Note: In 2025, Curtis Campher became the first to take five wickets in five balls in a T20: he was the first to do this in any format in men’s professional cricket. Randell became the second.
