 "Curtis Campher (In front) after Munster Reds vs North-West Warriors match (PIC: X)")
Irish all-rounder Curtis Campher created history on Thursday while playing in the Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy for Munster Reds against North-West Warriors, as he became the first cricketer in men’s professional cricket to take five wickets on five consecutive balls. Before Campher’s exploits against North-West Warriors, on five different occasions in men’s professional cricket, bowlers had taken 4 wickets on 4 consecutive balls. Campher himself is on the list while playing a T20 International match for Ireland against Netherlands in 2021.
The other four names in the list are Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga, who achieved this feat against New Zealand in T20Is back in 2019, and Rashid Khan, who took 4 wickets for Afghanistan against Ireland in 2019, also in T20 Internationals. Andre Adams of New Zealand took 4 consecutive wickets for Auckland while playing in New Zealand’s domestic ODI tournament, while Keith Hatchett of Australia achieved this feat playing for Tasmania in first-class cricket.
Although Campher is the first male cricketer to take five consecutive wickets in professional cricket, he is not the first overall, as Zimbabwe women’s all-rounder Kelis Ndhlovu also took five wickets in five balls for Zimbabwe U-19 against Eagles Women in the domestic T20 tournament back in 2024.
Most wickets on consecutive balls in men’s professional cricket:
| No. of Consecutive Wickets | Player | Format | Match / Team | Year |
| 5 | Curtis Campher | T20 (Inter-Provincial) | Munster Reds vs North-West Warriors | 2024 |
| 4 | Lasith Malinga | T20I | Sri Lanka vs New Zealand | 2019 |
| 4 | Rashid Khan | T20I | Afghanistan vs Ireland | 2019 |
| 4 | Curtis Campher | T20I | Ireland vs Netherlands | 2021 |
| 4 | Andre Adams | List A | Auckland vs Northern Districts (NZ Domestic) | 2007 |
| 4 | Keith Hatchett | First-Class | Tasmania vs South Australia | 1971 |
How Campher achieved the unique feat
Munster Reds captain Curtis Campher produced a stunning spell, taking five wickets in just 11 balls to bowl out the Warriors for 88 in their chase of 189. His onslaught began in the 12th over, bowling Jared Wilson with a sharp inswinger. He trapped Graham Hume lbw next ball, setting up a hat-trick that he completed when Andy McBrine miscued a slog to deep midwicket on the first ball of the 14th over. Campher then dismissed Robbie Millar caught behind and bowled Josh Wilson to finish with sensational figures, as the Warriors collapsed from 87 for 5 to 88 all out.
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