Brett Randell Achieves Unprecedented Feat in First-Class Cricket

Historic Achievement in New Zealand Cricket

As the cricket world turns its attention to the India-New Zealand T20 match, another remarkable event unfolded in New Zealand. On March 8, during the World Cup 2026 final at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium, Brett Randell, a cricketer from New Zealand, made headlines by achieving a historic milestone in first-class cricket, a feat that has never been accomplished in the sport's 254-year history. This extraordinary event took place during the Plunkett Shield, New Zealand's top first-class competition, where Randell played for Central Districts against Northern Districts at Napier's Mclean Park.

Brett Randell's Record-Breaking Performance

In a stunning display, Randell took five wickets in just five consecutive balls, dismissing five of the top six batsmen from the Northern Districts team. He began by bowling out Harry Cooper on the last delivery of the third over, followed by Jeet Raval, Joe Carter, Robert O'Donnell, and Kristan Clarke in the first four balls of the fifth over. The 30-year-old finished with impressive bowling figures of 7 wickets for 25 runs, contributing to Northern Districts being bowled out for a mere 82 runs in their first innings. Central Districts had previously scored 373 runs, allowing them to enforce the follow-on.

Since the inception of first-class cricket in 1772, there have been 44 instances of players taking four wickets in four balls, involving 43 different players, including four from India. However, Randell stands out as the first cricketer to achieve five wickets in five balls.

Notable Players Who Took Four Wickets in Four Balls

Some of the notable players who have taken four wickets in four balls throughout first-class history include:

• J Wells (Kent v Sussex) – Brighton, 1862


• G Ulyett (Lord Harris' XI v New South Wales) – Sydney, 1878-79


• G Nash (Lancashire v Somerset) – Manchester, 1882


• JB Hide (Sussex v MCC) – Lord's, 1890


• FJ Shacklock (Nottinghamshire v Somerset) – Nottingham, 1893


• AD Downes (Otago v Auckland) – Dunedin, 1893-94


• F Martin (MCC v Derbyshire) – Lord's, 1895


• AW Mold (Lancashire v Nottinghamshire) – Nottingham, 1895


• W Brearley (Lancashire v Somerset) – Manchester, 1905


• S Haigh (MCC v Army XI) – Pretoria, 1905-06


• AE Trott (Middlesex v Somerset) – Lord's, 1907


• FA Tarrant (Middlesex v Gloucestershire) – Bristol, 1907


• A Drake (Yorkshire v Derbyshire) – Chesterfield, 1914


• SG Smith (Northamptonshire v Warwickshire) – Birmingham, 1914


• HA Peach (Surrey v Sussex) – The Oval, 1924


• AF Borland (Natal v Griqualand West) – Kimberley, 1926-27


• JEH Hooker (New South Wales v Victoria) – Sydney, 1928-29


• RK Tyldesley (Lancashire v Derbyshire) – Derby, 1929


• RJ Crisp (Western Province v Griqualand West) – Johannesburg, 1931-32


• RJ Crisp (Western Province v Natal) – Durban, 1933-34


• AR Gover (Surrey v Worcestershire) – Worcester, 1935


• WH Copson (Derbyshire v Warwickshire) – Derby, 1937


• WA Henderson (NE Transvaal v Orange Free State) – Bloemfontein, 1937-38


• F Ridgway (Kent v Derbyshire) – Folkestone, 1951


• AK Walker (Nottinghamshire v Leicestershire) – Leicester, 1956


• SN Mohol (President's XI v Combined XI) – Pune, 1965-66


• D Robins (South Australia v New South Wales) – Adelaide, 1965-66


• PI Pocock (Surrey v Sussex) – Eastbourne, 1972


• SS Saini (Delhi v Himachal Pradesh) – New Delhi, 1988-89


• D Dias (W Province (Suburbs) v Central Province) – Colombo, 1990-91


• Ali Gauhar (Karachi Blues v United Bank) – Peshawar, 1994-95


• KD James (Hampshire v Indians) – Southampton, 1996


• GP Butcher (Surrey v Derbyshire) – The Oval, 2000


• Fazl-e-Akbar (PIA v Habib Bank) – Lahore, 2001-02


• CM Willoughby (Cape Cobras v Dolphins) – Durban, 2005-06


• Tabish Khan (Karachi Whites v Zarai Taraqiati Bank) – Karachi (UBL), 2009-10


• N Wagner (Otago v Wellington) – Queenstown, 2010-11


• Khalid Usman (Abbottabad v Karachi Blues) – Karachi, 2011-12


• Mahmudullah (Central Zone v North Zone) – Savar, 2013-14


• AC Thomas (Somerset v Sussex) – Taunton, 2014


• KR Smuts (Eastern Province v Boland) – Paarl, 2015-16


• M Mudhasir (Jammu & Kashmir v Rajasthan) – Jaipur, 2018-19


• Kulwant Khejroliya (Madhya Pradesh v Baroda) – Indore, 2023-24


• Auqib Nabi (North Zone v East Zone) – BCCI CEG Ground, 2025-26


• Muhammad Musa (Islamabad Region v Peshawar Region) – Islamabad, 2025-26


• Brett Randell (Central Districts v Northern Districts) – Napier, 2025-26 (5 wickets in five balls)

About Brett Randell

Randell is a seasoned right-arm medium pacer with extensive experience in domestic cricket. He began his career with Northern Districts before transferring to Central Districts. Additionally, he has represented New Zealand's U19 team but has yet to make his mark on the international stage.