Damon Adams, left, and Josh Browne won’t forget the time they faced in under-15s, with the pair capturing a hat-trick each in the match between Officer and Cardinia. 76845 Picture: Jarrod Potter
By Jarrod Potter
ONE hat-trick is a rarity in a match. Two is an incredible occurrence.
Josh Browne, 15, and Damon Adams, 14, captains for their respective Cardinia and Officer under-15 teams each rattled off hat-tricks in their match over the last two Saturdays.
Browne’s hat-trick came last week and after claiming two early wickets, he came back on for another spell and struck success.
The right-arm outswing paceman started the hat-trick with the second ball of his fourth over, an LBW, followed by knocking off the bails on the third delivery of the over.
For the hat-trick ball, the Bulls crowded the bat and Browne held onto a catch as the ball flew back at him.
“The next ball everyone was surrounding the bat and they yelled out ‘catch’ and it was caught and bowled,” Browne said.
“I was pretty nervous, I was hopeful I could get it.
“I stuck the hands out and caught it in the follow through.
“I threw it up in the air and went mental… it was a good feeling.”
Browne’s hat-trick finished off the Officer innings, with the Bullants dismissed for 120 and Browne finished with 5/12, his best figures in cricket.
Tight, economical bowling was required for Officer to pull off the victory and that was what Adams delivered.
Adams claimed an early wicket as well and Cardinia was in trouble at 7/58 when the hat-trick began. The first victim played Adams’ second ball of his fourth over onto the stumps and the second was caught.
Adams was no stranger to being in this position, having been on a hat-trick before, but this time he went one better as wicket-keeper Mitch Witham made the stumping and helped Adams to the hat-trick.
“I wasn’t thinking anything actually, I just wanted to get him out.” Adams said.
“I was jumping around and I couldn’t believe I got the last wicket as well.”
The right-arm medium pacer didn’t put too much thought into the last time he was on a hat-trick, as he was focused on the matter at hand.
“That was the second time I’ve ever been on a hat-trick. My first ever year of cricket I was on a hat-trick but didn’t get it,” Adams said.
“I’ve changed my bowling style a lot since then, so I didn’t really think about it.”
Adams’ hat-trick left him with match figures of 4/12 and finished the match with Officer winning by 62 runs.
