The New Zealand bowler makes history in first-class cricket with five wickets in five balls

Randall took the first wicket of his five in a row at the end of his second before taking the rest from the start of his third as Northern Districts slipped from 4-0 to 9-5.

The right-arm pacer had figures of 5-2 at that stage and also took a wicket with the first ball of the third ball to make it six wickets in eight balls.

He dismissed another batsman with the fifth ball off the third ball and finished with figures of 7-25.

“We were very impressed that we didn’t want to go hunting for wickets, so I was trying to keep playing the same ball, the ‘Plan A’ we talked about, and it worked,” Randall said.

“I had no idea it was the first time [five wicket in five balls in first-class cricket] It happened in the world, it’s so amazing.

“I mean, I don’t have any words right now, to be honest. I’ll take it.”

While this is the first time a player has achieved this feat in first-class cricket, it is not the first time a player has taken five wickets in five balls in all formats.

Irish international Curtis Campher became the first player to do so in a professional match in July 2025 in a domestic T20 match.

Zimbabwe all-rounder Kelis Ndlovu took five wickets in five balls in a domestic Under-19 T20 match in 2024.