As the Black Caps prepare for a shot at history in the ICC T20 World Cup final against India in Ahmedabad, one of their compatriots has
already made some. On the day Mitchell Santner’s men will attempt to become the latest team to become a white-ball world champion, Central Districts seamer Brett Randell became the first bowler in first-class cricket history to take five wickets in five balls.
The feat was achieved on the second morning of a Plunket Shield game against Northern Districts in Napier on Sunday. Five wickets in five balls had only been taken in domestic T20 games – once at the senior and once in the U19 level – before.
“I’m pretty blown away. The high was pretty crazy, it was like a pinch-me moment,” Randell was quoted as saying by stuff.co.nz. “I was
trying to stay level-headed and keep putting the ball in the same area and then after the actual hat-trick, just the same things — trying to put the ball in the same area.”
The 30-year-old, who has represented his country at the under-19 level, has been playing domestic cricket since 2017 but this is
definitely his finest hour.
5 WICKETS IN 5 BALLS!!! A Triple Hat Trick for Brett Randell for the Central Stags! pic.twitter.com/wz4GhnBhiy
— The ACC (@TheACCnz) March 8, 2026
“I had no idea that it was the first time it [five wickets in five balls in first-class cricket] had happened in the world, it’s
seriously cool.”
At McLean Park on Sunday, Randell first bowled Henry Cooper, who left a ball that came in to hit the right-hander’s stumps.
As it was the last ball of Randell’s second over, the drama had to wait a bit.
Former New Zealand batter Jeet Raval was his next victim, bowled from round the stumps off the first ball of Randell’s next over. The
hat-trick was completed when Joe Carter was adjudged caught behind, though the batter was left unimpressed by the decision, according to the report.
Next ball, Robbie O’Donnell was caught in the slips by Curtis Heaphy before Kristian Clarke, another current New Zealand cricketer played on to his stumps. Northern Districts had gone from 4 for no loss to 9 for five.
The next delivery to Ben Pomare was outside off-stump and was let go, but Randell was not done yet. He took two more wickets in his fourth over – Pomare given out LBW and Scott Kuggeleijn, who has represented New Zealand in all three formats between 2017 and 2024, caught going for a big hit. During his spell, Randell also became the first bowler to take six wickets in eight balls in first-class cricket. He finished with figures of 7/25 in 11 overs as Northern Districts were bowled out for 82. They were asked to follow on as Central Districts had scored 382 in their first innings.
