\u201cJust all the emotions and stuff coming down from that high was pretty big but super stoked to put on a performance for the boys today and put us in a position to win this game.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was trying to stay pretty level headed. I can\u2019t remember the last time I got a hat trick so I was trying to stay pretty calm and put the ball in the same area, not get too greedy so thankfully I was able to do that and then later on after those next two I was just getting into the huddle with the boys and just literally saying what is going on? It was a real pinch me moment for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
He is the first cricketer to take five in five in a domestic first-class match, with the feat previously being achieved by Zimbabwe\u2019s Kelis Ndhlovu in a domestic Under-19 Twenty20 match in 2024, while Ireland international Curtis Campher did the same during an Interprovincial T20 Trophy game last July in Dublin.<\/p>\n
Randell becomes the eighth player for the Stags to take a first-class hat-trick in 75 years of the Plunket Shield, joining Gary Bartlett, Matt Toynbee, Peter Visser, Tim Anderson, Mitch McClenaghan, Kieran Noema-Barnett and Blair Tickner in the record books.<\/p>\n
In Randell\u2019s 37 previous first-class matches, the 30-year-old had only claimed more than five wickets in an innings on two occasions.<\/p>\n
Central Districts started the day at McLean Park on 347\/8 before eventually being bowled out for 373.<\/p>\n
In reply, Northern Districts got off to a bad start when Randell dismissed Henry Cooper with the last ball of his second over.<\/p>\n
He returned for his next over to first claim the scalp of former Black Caps opener Jeet Raval before claiming his hat-trick when he had Joe Carter caught behind.<\/p>\n
Carter was shaking his head profusely, indicating he didn\u2019t hit the ball before eventually departing.<\/p>\n
Randell then got Robbie O\u2019Donnell caught out in the slips before Kristian Clarke became the fifth victim, clipping the ball, which bounced before hitting the stumps.<\/p>\n
Randall\u2019s next two balls didn\u2019t having much luck, but in his fourth over, he claimed the wickets of Ben Pomare and Scott Kuggeleijn.<\/p>\n
Northern Districts were eventually bowled out for 82 and were forced into the follow on, where they reached 162\/5 at stumps.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re still bowling at the moment so we\u2019ve got to get out there and take five more wickets and they\u2019re still a few runs behind us so we\u2019ll make it as hard for them as possible and hopefully we can take those wickets before they get past our score,\u201d Randell said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe lads are still in shock really. We don\u2019t really know what\u2019s going on but we\u2019re just trying to enjoy what\u2019s happened but make sure that we come back tomorrow and put in a shift to win this game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Surprisingly, Randell couldn\u2019t add to his wicket tally, with Ray Toole leading the charge with four second innings scalps.<\/p>\n