A hat-trick is a rare enough event in itself, but how about having two occur for the same team in the same match? This is precisely what occurred in Kiama Second Grade’s match against Shellharbour which took place on 5th and 12th November, 1966.
Shellharbour won the toss and batted on the first afternoon and was comfortably positioned at 2 for 96 in the first session of play. John James had been bowling as first change, and surely had no inkling as to what would occur next. With the batsmen set, he managed to get a ball through Matt O’Dwyer’s defences, dismissing him for 8. His next delivery also did for Tony McDonnell in the same way, leaving another Kiama bowler on a hat-trick. The new batsman Terry Holz probably approached the wicket in the same way that all of us who have had to face a hat-trick delivery - slightly nervy, hoping for a wide or a ball down leg side that could be negotiated with a minimum of fuss or effort. As it was, John James threw up a pretty handy outswinger, drawing the batsman forward, though he could only nick his first delivery through to keeper Allan Crapp, and James had a hat-trick to his name.
With the Shellharbour innings in tatters, he then took care of Jim McDonnell two balls later, and the following over bowled John Estreich to complete a “Longbottom-esque” feat of five wickets in seven deliveries, and one of (if not) the finest bowling spells of his career.
Shellharbour, who had been cruising, was dismissed for just 128 when skipper Bill Leyshon took the final wicket of the innings, Don Senior. Kiama’s reply, much like “Longbottom’s Match” as described previously, was lukewarm, falling short of first innings points by being dismissed for just 118. Unlike the other match described though, Kiama Second Grade was unable to run through their opponents to set up a victory chase in the second innings. Shellharbour batted steadily, no doubt knowing it was unlikely they could force an outright result with the amount of time left in the day. Instead they used it as batting practice as the Shellharbour bowlers put up their feet.
Their score had reached 4 for 103 before Bill Leyshon introduced himself into the attack, with immediate results. Terry Holz, the third victim in John James' hat-trick the previous weekend was the first to fall, caught by Jim Kentwell. Replacing him at the crease was Jim McDonnell. McDonnell was not only on a king pair, having been a part of John James’ hat-trick in the first innings, but by virtue of the fact that Leyshon had taken the final wicket of the first innings, and had taken a wicket with his first ball of the second innings, he was now facing a hat-trick ball as well. Call it bad luck, call it poor batting, call it what you like, but unfortunately for McDonnell he wasn’t up to the task, and was comprehensively bowled, completing both disastrous scenarios for himself.
So, despite the first innings loss, this match was accorded two pieces of history that allow it to stand alone in the annals of the Kiama Cricket Club.
The most recent addition to the hat-trick club is Michael Hook. The medium fast swing bowler had bounced around the Grades since his debut several years ago, but had always been a potent wicket taker. Topping the District Third Grade aggregate in 2010/11, and a handy bagful early in the 2011/12 season saw him elevated back into the semi-final bound Second Grade team.
On the final day of the regular season, March 24, 2012, Second Grade was in a touch of trouble in their match against lowly placed Jamberoo. With the first week having been washed out, and other teams getting on the paddock and putting up big victories, Kiama looked a chance to drop from first place to fourth in one afternoon. Jamberoo had been 0/89 at one point, and was 7/133 when 'Hooky" was introduced for his second spell of the afternoon. From all accounts, his first spell had been tame, lacking his usual bite and penetration. Given that Second Grade had only played on one weekend in the previous seven, because of byes and wet weather, it isn't hard to imagine that he may have been under-done. Still, desperate times bring desperate measures, and he was needed to stand up here.
His first ball of his new spell passed through innocuously enough, but his second was a beauty, knocking down James Thompson's stumps. The new batsman was Brendan Dallas, who had been sitting around for a couple of hours, perhaps thinking that he may not even have to bat that afternoon. Now whether he just wasn't expecting what he received as his first delivery, or he lost it in the background of the Jamberoo scenery, or (as "Hooky" maintains) the ball was just too fast for him, Dallas shuffled in front of his stumps, only to miss the full toss that careered into his pads, and the umpire's finger was raised skyward to the rousing appeal of the Kiama team.
Nine wickets down, and the end of a long season in sight, is not a situation to easily walk out to face a hat-trick delivery. Rueben Campbell was the young man with this distinct honour, and though he may feel differently, he was no match on this occasion for the bowler, as "Hooky" snuck his next delivery through his defences to shatter the stumps, and bring up a wonderful milestone.
Gary Koks had been a potent all-rounder whose bowling had been as quick as anyone in the competition in the early 1980’s. The weakening of several parts of his body forced him to give away the fast bowling part of his arsenal, to the point where it was rare of him to bowl an over of any description.
On February 1st, 1992, Second Grade’s faltering season was taking another tumble at the Kiama Sporting Complex. Having scraped together 157 in their innings of the one day fixture (Gary Koks with 34 opening the innings), Jamberoo had been curtailed to 6 for 104 before an irritating partnership between hard head Rob 'Brickhead' Mason and renown tail-ender Tony ‘Red’ Hastings had taken Jamberoo to 142 without further loss - within 16 runs of victory and with three overs to bowl. With few options left available to him, Kiama’s fill-in skipper (your humble correspondent) threw the ball to Koks to bowl his rather dodgy off breaks.
The first four balls were as rusty as you would expect from someone who was now not a regular visitor to the bowling crease, and were deposited for nine runs. Seven runs required from 14 balls, and with the field spread, ‘Red’ tried to put the resulting long hop onto the top soccer field, but managed only to sky it to Chris Sellars at mid wicket. Despite a couple of juggles, Sellars took the catch, re-igniting some forlorn hope in the Kiama players. The batsmen had crossed whilst the ball was in the air, and so it was Mason who faced up to the final ball of the over. It was a quicker ball - a real quicker ball, one almost pulled from the memory of the whippy fast bowler of yore. It pinned Mason to the crease and crashed into his pads before the bat had barely begun its downswing, and the umpire ruled in the affirmative for the Kiama team. Both of the set Jamberoo batsmen had been dismissed in successive deliveries, and the game changed again.
Five runs came from the following over, leaving scores tied with six balls to go. ‘Koksy’ was left with the duty of securing an unlikely tie, and did his part when Craig Hazelton tried to hammer the first ball of the over to the boundary, only to completely miss and be bowled. Gary’s hat-trick had brought Kiama to the edge of a redeeming tie. The fairytale ended there however, with the winning runs coming from a single with a ball to spare. Despite the heart-breaking loss, which ended any hope of a finals berth for the Second Grade team, there was at least something to drink positively about at the Grand Hotel beer garden that evening for the Kiama lads.
As a part of Third Grade’s charge toward the final of the 1998/99 competition, Brendan Moore was the young opening bowler who was a key element in the success that they had that season. On the afternoon of February 20th 1999, Kiama captain Chris Forbes had set The Rail a target of 187 from a maximum of 18 overs to pull off an unlikely outright victory. Just as unlikely would have been a Kiama win, but The Rail had decided to chase the outright, giving Kiama an opportunity as well. The pressure was certainly on the young 16 year old bowling pairing of Moore and Ryan Omrod, and The Rail batsmen threw willow at leather with gusto. At 3 for 77 with the big hitting Martin Spears and cagey old dog John Hallsworth at the crease there was a growing possibility of a boilover. Fortunately for Kiama, Moore struck at this point, having Spears caught by David ‘Moz’ McCormack. The batsmen had crossed while the ball was in the air, leaving Hallsworth to face Moore’s next delivery, a long hop that sat up and begged to be spanked. Unfortunately for John, Albion Oval’s boundaries had been set back just a little too far, and he was caught right on the flags by Chris Forbes. For the hat-trick delivery, Moorey decided on a full ball at the stumps. Scott Tozer saw the invitation and accepted the challenge, but was only able to put the ball into Ian Pearson’s hands. Brendan’s hat-trick took the steam out of The Rail’s chase, and they finished at 8 for 124 when stumps were drawn.
Most Kiama teams have struggled when taking on Warilla at their Oakleigh Park home base, but Kiama’s Second Grade side had made a pretty good fist of it in their one day match on November 15th 2003. Batting first, they had amassed 210 before being bowled out in the 43rd over. However, it still needed a bold statement from the bowlers early on if Kiama was to be victorious, as Warilla had a particular joy in overcoming all obstacles to defeat teams wearing the blue and gold baggy cap.
17 year old Josh Elliott opened the bowling, a role he had taken on that season with enthusiasm. His short ambling run to the crease could fool – has fooled – batsmen as to the fierceness of his bowling. Once he reaches the crease however, the powerful motion of chest and shoulder makes the velocity of his delivery decidedly sharp.
With Warilla’s reply at none for 7, the excitement began. McCorry was facing, and Elliott’s delivery was full and at the stumps, rapping him on the pads. The appeal from the Kiama team was met in agreement by the umpire, and Warilla was 1 for 7. The new man was Davis, who was clearly unprepared for the pace at which his first delivery reached him. With his bat still deliberating on its action the ball crashed into his pads, and once again the appeal was received in favour of the fielding team.
Chris Sloane walked out to face the hat-trick ball at number four. Sloane was one of those guys all cricket teams loved to get out early. His cricket field demeanour was… of an annoying nature. He loved to be hated, and teams loved giving him little success.
Settling himself in, his back foot was a touch in front of the crease, despite being surrounded by fieldsmen. Having seen the previous two deliveries, and knowing that a third delivery exactly the same was coming in an attempt to pick up the hat-trick, Sloane would have been thinking about getting as far forward to the ball as he could.
Elliott’s ball was quick, his right shoulder ripping through. Sloane’s weight began to move forward before he realised that what he thought was going to be a yorker was in fact a searing bouncer, perfectly pitched and rising off a good length right at his nose. Sloane flinched, reversing his weight distribution as quickly as possible, and threw his gloves up to protect his face. The ball careered into the padding around his hands, and by sheer luck rather than good management, the ball popped up but went straight back down the wicket rather than in the direction of the men in close. On most days this would have saved Sloane, but on this day Kiama had Ryan Gunning playing, and ‘Nugget’ was the best fielder in the Club. From short leg he dived full length across the wicket, spraying dust and dirt into the air, and tearing skin from his forearms, stomach and knees – but he grabbed the ball in his outstretched fingertips. It was an amazing dismissal, one etched forever in the memories of those who were there to witness it.
One thing most people who have played with or against Josh can agree on is that, if ever there was someone who could produce multiple hat-tricks, then Josh is one of those bowlers. He can literally, in the middle of a terrible spell of bowling, somehow turn it around and produce an over or two of unplayable deliveries.
Seven years later - almost to the day - on November 6, 2010, Kiama Second Grade took on Jamberoo at Kevin Walsh Oval, the scene of Michael Hook's hat-trick sixteen months later. Jamberoo had been sent in after losing the toss, and had weathered the early going okay to be 1 for 44, before opener Grant Russell was dismissed for 21.
Elliott had been toiling away from the start of the innings, economical apart from wides, which amassed almost half of the runs he conceded. The wicket of Russell had brought Mitch Hudson to the crease, and the young left hander was going to make certain he was behind the line of the ball. He moved across in front of his stumps to cover any slanting of the next delivery towards the slips cordon, only to find that the ball instead was dead straight, cart-wheeling his middle stump behind his legs for a duck. Todd Bridge came in to face the last ball of Elliott’s over, and as so many batsmen have done throughout his career as a bowler, Bridge made the fatal error of shuffling across rather than getting forward. The good length delivery beat him for pace dreadfully, thumping into his pads and leaving the umpire in no doubt as to his decision.
A further wicket fell in the following over before Josh returned to the bowling crease, this time facing stalwart Jamberoo journeyman Brian ‘Hobo’ Harris. Having witnessed the carnage of four wickets falling for just three runs while he stood at the non-strikers end, he would have had time to prepare himself for what he was about to face. What came at him was a searing yorker length delivery, a pearler straight from ‘Jellie’s’ finest weaponry. ‘Hobo’ managed to get his bat down on the ball in time, but was only able to squeeze it out towards the slips cordon. Waiting there at third slip was Rob Farrell, who had only been summoned into the cordon for this hat-trick delivery. There was, literally, no time to react. The ball was travelling at such a pace that, had Rob not stuck his hands up in front of his face as quickly as he did, he could easily have suffered a broken nose or cheekbone. General disbelief turned to incredulity when Rob not only avoided some critical damage to his face, he also held onto the catch, thus terminating Harris’ innings and completing Elliott’s second Grade hat-trick for Kiama.
Like all new players, when Nathan Simpson arrived at the Club as a sixteen year old from Albion Park in November 1999, he was asked “What do you do?” Having answered that he batted and bowled, but was “probably more of a batsman”, he was chosen for three matches in Second Grade, where he did three things – he batted in the middle order and scored a few runs, he did not bowl a ball (though more out of the fact that 2nd Grade had nine bowlers in their team most weeks at that point in time), and he proved himself to be one of the best fielders in the Club (a story that lies in another chapter).
With available players slotting back into the higher Grades, Simpson went back to Third Grade, playing against the Warilla White side at King Memorial Oval. He batted at number three and scored 10 as Kiama Blue was rolled for just 120. With Warilla White just passing their first innings score, skipper Mark O’Dwyer threw the ball to Simpson, no doubt to see what he could do. He immediately impressed those in the Kiama Blue side with his pace, and he finished the innings with 2 for 29 as Warilla White took a 48 run first innings lead.
Chasing an unlikely outright, Kiama Blue scored quickly to declare at 3 for 193 (Nathan Simpson 20 not out), leaving a little under 30 overs for Warilla White to score 152 runs or Kiama Blue to take ten wickets for an outright result. The ball was thrown to the junior speed tyro’s, fifteen year old Steve Ross and ‘Simmo’. ‘Rossy’ was quick – the word from his Under 16 team mates was that he was the quickest of the fast bowling brigade – but wayward and generally short. Nathan was immediately on song, moving in swiftly off a modest run-up. Unusually for a left arm bowler, he chose to come around the wicket, but was still effective, slicing through the opening batsmen. His partner picked up the next two batsmen, but was proving expensive, his six overs costing 54 runs. Simpson continued to penetrate, picking up another two wickets as well as throwing down the stumps from cover to effect the run out of Monie.
Whether or not the Warilla side had given up on the chase for outright points before this is unknown – one can only assume it was the case. However, the assumption becomes irrelevant as Simpson comes in to conclude his eighth over of the innings. Despite the ball now being almost sixteen overs old, ‘Simmo’ is still making it perform tricks, and his speed, though down on what it was initially is still too much for Ty Cherry, who has his off stump plucked out of the ground. The following ball to Ken Pitt is cruel, a late dipping yorker at pace that rips out middle stump before the batsman knows what has hit him. Number eleven comes to the crease with the Kiama team on a high, looking as though they are going to pull off an amazing come-from-behind win. The veteran Russell Park bowls the next over, but cannot finish off the match, leaving Simpson with his opportunity. The first ball of his ninth over is another screamer, bending back from outside the right hander’s off stump to crash into middle before the batsman had an opportunity to play a shot. The innings was over, the match completed, and Nathan Simpson had announced to all that he was a bowler first, and a handy one at that. It was his final match in Third Grade that season, as he moved up to open the bowling in Second Grade in the side he helped to propel toward the 1999/2000 premiership.
There was another hat-trick for Kiama in Third Grade that season, this one perhaps the least likely of all that have been taken for the Kiama club. In 1999/2000 Kiama had entered two Third Grade teams, Blue and White. Blue was considered the ‘A’ team, though their premiership charge was halted in the semi-final. The White team was a team led by veterans such as Ian Pearson and David McCormack, bringing juniors into Grade cricket. It was a very successful three seasons, with almost twenty players progressing to Second and First Grade cricket from that team.
The final match of the season between the White team and Jamberoo had no bearing on the final four in the Third Grade competition, but was still a success for the Kiama side who won by 161 runs. However, the highlight came on the second afternoon of the match, with Kiama pressing for their outright victory. Skipper Ian Pearson was performing the traditional duties for a team not playing in the finals and in their final day of the season – giving every player a bowl. Veteran Ross Wolf was filling in for the match, a role he performed often in those years, especially in teams that his sons were playing in. His opportunity with the ball came with Jamberoo having recovered from some early setbacks to rebuild to 4 for 69, with Reed having done most of the damage with 36. His innings came to an abrupt conclusion at this point, however, when he steered a ball from Wolf to Scott Koenig. With the batsmen crossing whilst the ball was in the air, it was the other batsman in the recent partnership, Jason Evans, who faced the next ball, the final ball of the over. Possibly also tempted by the short boundaries of Keith Irvine Oval, he also hit the ball in the air, finding only the safe hands of Ian Pearson to grasp the chance offered to him.
The first ball of Wolf’s next over was to Burke, and if he was aware of his imminent arrival into Kiama folklore he didn’t show it. However, becoming the third victim in a hat-trick to – and let’s be honest here – the novice bowling of Ross Wolf by allowing his stumps to be scattered, is a truly damning feat. The fact that Ross was not content with this, and then bowled the following batsman Callum Pirie the next over is even more astonishing. Thankfully ‘Pearso’ had the good sense to take him off before he could build up any further victims, leaving him with 4 for 10 from three overs, and a lifetime of bragging rights over more accomplished bowlers who have failed to pick up a hat-trick of their own.
Josh Jones, along with many of his contemporaries from the junior ranks, was forced to take a senior role in the First Grade squad before his time due to the generation gap that gripped the Kiama club during the late 1990’s. Fortunately ‘Doc’ is made of stern stuff, and didn’t shirk the responsibility that was thrust upon his young shoulders as he led the bowling attack.
On January 6, 2001 Kiama were busy trying to put their traditional rival Gerringong to the sword. They had been cruising for a decent total at 3 for 93 before ‘Doc’ and his leg-spinning partner at the other end (your humble correspondent) had run a swathe through the middle order, reducing Gerringong to a teetering 7 for 112. The wicket of Peter Neale caught behind by Tim Richardson was ‘Doc’s’ third for the innings and exposed number ten and eleven to him for the chance of a ‘five-fa’. Ashton Sims had yet to play rugby league for the Dragons or the Broncos or the Cowboys in the NRL, but he was still a big kid, and he probably thought that the stride he got in to the next delivery was a decent one, even though it clumped him on the front pad. Certainly his reaction when he was fired out LBW, despite only a cursory appeal from the bowler when those behind the wicket went up in unison, was telling enough. ‘Doc’ himself admitted in the huddle at centre wicket that it “wasn’t even close”. Still, he had reached that pinnacle that so many of us have scaled and then failed to complete. Justin O’Hare was the final batsman for Gerringong, and must have wondered what was ahead of him. In fact, he treated the ball like he was a rabbit with headlights bearing down on him, and the perfunctory shuffle across his stumps only meant that when ‘Doc’s’ delivery thudded into his pads, the umpire’s decision was an easy one. Gerringong had lost 7 for 19, lost by six wickets, and Josh Jones was well underway to proving himself to be one of Kiama’s finest ever bowlers.
Update #1. The good thing about online publishing is that you can update it whenever something new and exciting comes along. And thanks to 1st Grade skipper in the 2016/17 season Nathan Barr, here is his description of the latest addition to the hat-trick club for Kiama, which occurred in the season just finished.
Update #1. The good thing about online publishing is that you can update it whenever something new and exciting comes along. And thanks to 1st Grade skipper in the 2016/17 season Nathan Barr, here is his description of the latest addition to the hat-trick club for Kiama, which occurred in the season just finished.
In a game against perennial heavyweights Oak Flats at Geoff Shaw Oval, it was 16 year old Blake Harrison, playing just his third game of 1st grade who joined the elite 1st Grade hat-trick club for the Cavs.
The Kiama opening bowlers had got the Cavs off to a great start against the strong Oak Flats top order with Josh Norris bowling his best spell of the season to remove both Nikataris brothers for 0 and 6. At the 'houses end' tall left armer Glenn Cleary was showing all his guile and experience on a seaming wicket, tying the batsmen down and was unlucky not to have a wicket or two himself.
In the 10th over of the innings, Blake replaced Cleary with instructions from the skipper to bowl the same lines that had brought him success in his two other top grade games.
After a couple of dots, Scott McAndrew turned the third ball for a single bringing the experienced and dangerous Brynley Richards on strike. Blake's first delivery to Richards was straight and just short of a length, the moisture in the wicket from the rain the previous day saw the ball hold up a fraction. This had Richards through his defensive push a little early and he presented the easiest of return catches which Blake duly grabbed sending Brynly on his way for 1.
Jackman was the next batsmen in at number 5, a player that the Cavs had not come across before, but if his cricket prowess was even half as impressive as his beard this guy could bat. Blake gilded in and sent down the delivery which was a little shorter than his previous delivery and wider outside the off stump. It again sat up a little of the deck, putting it in the perfect zone for Jackman to rock back and cut the ball through point. The batsman gleefully accepted the invitation and launched into a firmly struck cut shot off the middle of his bat. Unfortunately for Jackman the shot was in the air and Ben 'Pumper' Jones swooped taking an excellent two handed catch at full stretch. Jackman was on his way and Blake had two wickets in two balls.
In at number 6 was Oak Flats captain Andy Twyford, another experienced player to face the hat-trick ball. Twyford took guard and the field was set with catching men in 3 slips, a gully, a catching cover and a short mid on. Often on a hat-trick ball, the occasion sometimes gets the better of a bowler and they can send down the worst delivery of their spell, allowing the batsmen to watch the delivery harmlessly sail past. Blake, however did the complete opposite, bowling the ball that pretty much every bowler wishes they could bowl in this situation. Blake let rip a full ball on an off stump and Twyford shuffled forward on his crease and prodded his bat out to defend that line. The ball then swung in late, moving past the inside edge of the bat and thumped into his pads. As the 11 Kiama players went up in unison for the LBW, the decision was taken out of the umpires hands as the ball rolled back onto the stumps, dislodging the bails. Twyford was bowled for 0 and Blake had his hat-trick, ripping the heart out of the Oak Flats top order.
