10 Jul, 2025 | 10:37 PM

Ireland allrounder Curtis Campher has etched his name into cricketing history by becoming the first male player in professional cricket to take five wickets in five consecutive deliveries. The sensational spell came during Munster Reds' Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy clash against North-West Warriors at Dublin on Thursday.

Campher, captaining Munster Reds, produced a breathtaking bowling performance that dismantled the Warriors' lower order, reducing them from 87 for 5 to 88 all out in pursuit of a target of 189. His final figures read an extraordinary 5 for 16 in just 2.3 overs.

The historic feat began with the final two deliveries of the 12th over. Jared Wilson was the first to fall, bowled by a swinging delivery that knocked back off stump. The next ball saw Graham Hume trapped lbw, beaten by another sharp inswinger.

With a hat-trick opportunity at the start of his next over, Campher struck again as Andy McBrine mishit a slog to deep midwicket. He followed it up with two more consecutive wickets: Robbie Millar was caught behind attempting a tentative prod outside off stump, and Josh Wilson was bowled by a delivery that crashed into his stumps as Campher came around the wicket.

"Because of the change of overs, I wasn't really sure what was happening," Campher said afterward. "I just kind of stuck to my guns and kept it real simple and luckily it kind of went off."

When asked if he could have gone for a sixth in six if there were another batter left, he replied with a grin: "No, I don't think so. It is what it is. Take the rough with the smooth. Just happy to be out there in the sun."

This match marked only his second outing after recovering from a finger injury that had sidelined him for the recent ODI and T20I series against the West Indies. In his comeback game earlier this week, he scored 57 off 35 balls against Leinster Lightning but did not bowl. In Thursday's match, he contributed with the bat again, scoring a quickfire 44 off 24 deliveries before turning the game with the ball.

Reflecting on his comeback, Campher said, "Performances aside, it has been really good just to be around the boys. When you get injured, it's a bit of a dark place, when you get into the gym and stuff like that. So it has been really nice… I’ve been enjoying myself and putting pressure on myself to do well. It has kind of made me work for the last little bit."

Campher already belongs to a rare group of bowlers who have taken four wickets in four balls in T20 internationals, but this feat stands alone in men’s professional cricket.

However, he is not the first cricketer overall to achieve it. Zimbabwe Women’s allrounder Kelis Ndhlovu holds that distinction, having taken five wickets in five balls in a domestic T20 match for Zimbabwe U-19 against Eagles Women in 2024.

Campher’s achievement will go down as one of the most remarkable bowling spells in the history of the game, a testament to his skill, resilience, and return to form.