Record Breaker! Curtis Campher Becomes First Cricketer to Take 5 Wickets in 5 Balls

All-rounder Curtis Campher is aiming to make his return to the Ireland national team, ahead of the upcoming three-match ODI series against England.

Record Breaker! Curtis Campher Becomes First Cricketer to Take 5 Wickets in 5 Balls

Ireland's Curtis Campher became the first men's player to claim five wickets in five consecutive balls. (via ESPN Cricinfo)

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Irish fast bowler Curtis Campher etched his name in history books by achieving an unprecedented feat, becoming the first male cricketer to take five wickets in five consecutive deliveries. He accomplished this milestone while playing in Ireland’s domestic T20 tournament.

Playing for the Munster Reds against North-West Frontiers in the ongoing Cricket Ireland Inter-Provincial Twenty20 Trophy, Curtis Campher achieved this remarkable feat. The five wickets were spread across two overs; the 12th and 14th overs. He secured his first two wickets on the final two deliveries of the 12th over, and the other three on the first three balls of the 14th over, concluding with figures of 5/16.

The 26-year-old’s first scalp was Jade Wilson, who attempted to drive the balls towards the covers. The ball swung back in, passing through the gap between his bat and pad to crash onto the off-stump. On the final ball of the 12th over, Campher removed Graham Hume. Hume was declared LBW out for a golden duck after the ball swung back in and struck his pads while he attempted a shot off the back foot.

Curtis Campher returned to bowl in the 14th over, with Frontiers struggling at 88/7. He finished off the match on the first three deliveries of the over, dismissing national teammate Andy McBrine first, who was caught near the boundary by Stephen Doheny. Robbie Miller was the next to be dismissed, caught off an outside edge by the keeper. Campher then completed his historic five-wickets-in-five-balls feat by bowling out Josh Wilson with a brilliant inswinger.

Campher secured the POTM award for not just his five-wicket masterclass, but also a swift 44-run knock off 24 balls. Munster Reds had posted a solid first-innings total of 188/7, with the Frontiers falling 100 runs short of the target. Campher was supported in the bowling effort by 19-year-old spinner Bakhtyar Nabi, who took three wickets. Munster Reds, following the win, jumped to third place in the standings, currently tied with North West at 20 points from 12 matches.

Interestingly, Curtis Campher had previously taken four wickets in a row, while playing for his national team at the 2021 T20I World Cup, against the Netherlands. While he is the first male cricketer to secure five consecutive wickets, he is not the first player to do so in professional cricket. That record belongs to Zimbabwean women’s star Kelis Ndhlovu, who achieved the milestone in a domestic T20 match in 2024.

Nonetheless, Curtis Campher has maintained a strong record for Ireland, accumulating over 1000 runs and claiming 32 wickets in 43 ODIs, alongside 924 runs and 31 wickets in 61 T20Is. He is aiming to make his return to the national team, after having missed the West Indies series due to a finger injury. 

Curtis Campher’s Domestic and International Teammate, Peter Moor, Announces International Retirement At 34

One of Irish all-rounder Curtis Campher’s closest friends and teammate, Peter Moor announced his retirement from international cricket at the age of 34. Moor’s 11-year cricketing career was notable, as he represented both Ireland and Zimbabwe.

Peter Moor retires
Former Ireland and Zimbabwean batter Peter Moor retired from international cricket. (via X)

Born in Harare, Peter Moor first played for the Zimbabwe in November 2014, when he featured in an ODI against Bangladesh. After representing Zimbabwe in 8 Tests, 49 ODIs, and 21 T20Is, he moved to Ireland. Moor made his debut for Ireland in March 2023, also against Bangladesh, and went on to playe 7 Tests for the side, with his final appearance coming in February this year against Zimbabwe.

Upon his recent retirement, Peter Moor remains one of only 17 cricketers to have played Test matches for two different countries. Across 15 Tests, he scored 734 runs at an average of 25.31, while in white-ball cricket, he accumulated over 1,100 runs at a similar average.