Chris Woodbridge was a study in mixed emotions after he claimed a 10-wicket haul in a losing side.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Mailors Flat bowler took 5-57 off 14 overs on the first day of his Grassmere Cricket Association match against Woolsthorpe to carry some confidence through the week.
But with his side going into the second and final day needing to claim five wickets for just 58 runs, Woodbridge knew he had to strike early.
And unfortunately for him, Woolsthorpe’s Duncan Craw and Jason Alberts had other ideas.
The pair managed to stick around and erase the deficit, earning the Warriors their third win of the season.
But moments after the game was officially won and lost, Woodbridge, 31, finally snared Craw and bust the dam wall wide open.
A double hat-trick by Woodbridge saw Rowan Toki, Jashanpreet Randhawa and then Jackson Hansford follow Craw back to the sheds.
The Warrnambool-based painter finished with figures of 10-82 off 26.2 overs, including seven maidens.
“I'm still sitting back now thinking about it,” he said. “I haven't taken it all in yet.”
Woodbridge said his plan simple – bowl at the stumps and dismiss Craw and Alberts as soon as possible.
“I just put it up there and allowed the ball to swing back in and either take the pads or the stumps,” he said.
“They worked hard in the first hour to stick around and just pot away to make the deficit. But it was a close game played in good spirits – you can't ask for anything more.”
And while he couldn’t actually remember each wicket, Woodbridge said taking out Woolsthorpe skipper Steve Blacker was the highlight.
“It dipped straight back into the left-hander and took his middle peg – a pretty vital wicket at the time,” he said.
But Mailors Flat captain Lachie Boyle, 24, said Woodbridge had glossed over one other memorable part of this wicket.
“We dropped about four catches off Blacker,” he said. “Then ‘Wooders bowled him and just screamed out, 'don't worry boys I'll do it all myself!'”
“And he did – he didn’t give them any room all day and just bowled exceptionally.
“I reckon he’d trade it all in for a win, but that's cricket. It’s still a milestone to celebrate, for sure.”
Blacker himself was more than happy to recognise Woodbridge’s achievement.
“I've been playing cricket for longer than those blokes have been alive,” he said.
“But I've never seen a double hat-trick and I've never seen a bowler take ten-for.
“It's an amazing feat.”