Brett Randell became the first bowler in the 254-year history of first-class cricket to take five wickets in five balls. The 30-year-old seam bowler produced the landmark burst on day two of Central Stags’ Plunket Shield match against Northern Districts in Napier, collapsing the visitors from 4-0 to 9-5. Randell described the moment as ‘pretty blown away’ and said he was trying to stay level-headed and keep bowling the same ball.
Cricket milestone and the sequence
Randell’s sequence began with a wicket at the end of his second over, then continued with four more wickets from the start of his third over to complete five in five deliveries. At that stage he had figures of 5-2; he then took a wicket with the first ball of his fourth over to record six wickets in eight balls and went on to finish with figures of 7-25. Northern Districts were bowled out for 82 in reply to Central Stags’ 373 during the same match.
Immediate reaction
Brett Randell, 30-year-old seam bowler for Central Stags, said: “I’m pretty blown away. The high was pretty crazy, it was like a pinch-me moment. ” He added: “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. ” On tactics he stressed team discipline: “It gets drummed into us a lot that we don’t want to go searching for wickets, so I was trying to just keep bowling the same ball, and our ‘Plan A’ that we’d talked about, and it came off. “
Quick context & what’s next
While this is the first time five wickets in five balls has occurred in first-class cricket, similar feats have been recorded in shorter formats: Curtis Campher achieved five wickets in five balls in a domestic T20 in July 2025, and Kelis Ndhlovu took five in five in a domestic under-19 T20 in 2024. Randell also had a short spell playing for Somerset in 2024 and this performance will be measured against that wider career arc.
The Plunket Shield match will move on after the collapse Randell triggered; attention will fall on how Central Stags press their advantage and how Northern Districts respond in the remaining play. Observers will also track how this historic burst affects Randell’s place in domestic plans and selection conversations in New Zealand cricket.
