In a moment that will be etched into cricketing folklore, Ireland all-rounder Curtis Campher made history on Thursday by becoming the first male cricketer — and only the second ever in the professional game — to claim five wickets in five consecutive deliveries.
This remarkable feat was achieved during an Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy clash in Ireland, where Campher led Munster Reds against the North-West Warriors. The all-rounder produced a fiery spell of 5 for 16 in 2.3 overs, single-handedly dismantling the Warriors’ batting order.
Chasing 189, the Warriors collapsed from 87 for 5 to 88 all out, courtesy of Campher’s fiery bowling. His streak began with the final two balls of the 12th over, removing Jared Wilson and Graham Hume. In his next over, Campher completed a sensational hat-trick, dismissing Andy McBrine, Robbie Millar, and Josh Wilson to complete the five-wicket haul.
Reflecting on his achievement, Campher admitted: “Because of the change of overs, I wasn’t really sure what was happening. I just stuck to my plans and kept it simple — luckily, it paid off.”
Asked if he could have taken six in six had another batter been available, Campher laughed it off: “No, I don’t think so. It is what it is. Just happy to be out there enjoying the sunshine.”
Campher had previously made headlines by taking four wickets in four balls against the Netherlands in the 2021 T20 World Cup, underlining his value as one of Ireland’s premier all-rounders.
While Campher’s achievement is groundbreaking in men’s cricket, the first player to accomplish the feat in any professional match was Zimbabwe’s Kelis Ndhlovu, who picked up five wickets in five balls in a domestic women’s T20 game in 2024.
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