In a spellbinding display that will be etched in cricketing folklore, Ireland’s Curtis Campher achieved the unprecedented: five wickets in five balls in a T20 match, becoming the first male cricketer in professional cricket to accomplish this feat. The historic moment unfolded at Pembroke Cricket Club in Dublin, where Campher’s Munster Reds faced off against the North-West Warriors in the Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy.
The sequence: Here’s how Curtis Campher created history
Chasing a daunting target of 189, the North-West Warriors were holding on at 87 for 5. Enter Campher, whose right-arm medium pace would soon dismantle the opposition and leave fans and players alike in disbelief.
Ball 1 (12th over, penultimate ball): Jared Wilson was bowled by a sharp inswinger, setting the tone for what was to come.
Ball 2 (12th over, last ball): Graham Hume was trapped leg-before-wicket by another inswinger, giving Campher two wickets in two balls.
Ball 3 (14th over, first ball): Returning on a hat-trick, Campher dismissed Andy McBrine, who miscued a slog to deep midwicket—hat-trick complete.
Ball 4 (14th over, second ball): Robbie Millar edged a delivery outside off-stump and was caught behind.
Ball 5 (14th over, third ball): Josh Wilson was bowled, sealing the historic five-in-five and sparking wild celebrations.
The Warriors collapsed spectacularly, tumbling from 87 for 5 to 88 all out in just 13.3 overs. Campher’s final figures: 5 wickets for 16 runs in 2.3 overs—a spell destined for the record books.
Relive the moment here:
Curtis Campher 5 balls 5 Wickets. https://t.co/ypmGvx3Ia0 pic.twitter.com/zHIn6iNz4w
— H U S Nain (@H11USNAIN) July 10, 2025
Campher opens up about his magical spell
Speaking after the match, Campher said, “Because of the change of overs, I wasn’t really sure what was happening. I just kind of stuck to my guns and kept it real simple, and luckily it kind of went off.” The 26-year-old, who was making only his second appearance after recovering from a finger injury, added, “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, so it’s been really nice to be back.”
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A rare feat in cricket
While four wickets in four balls have been achieved by a select few—including Campher himself, who did so in the 2021 T20 World Cup—no male cricketer had ever taken five wickets in five balls in a professional match until now. The only other instance in professional cricket came in women’s cricket, when Zimbabwe’s Kelis Ndhlovu accomplished the feat for Zimbabwe U19 in 2024.
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