
There are plenty of rarities in cricket, but arguably none more than the coveted double hat-trick.
A hat-trick is now more common place - yet still rare - with shorter formats of the game, particularly Twenty20 cricket played so much, yet going one step further and claiming four wickets in a row is still almost unheard of.
It's so rare it's only been recorded a handful of times at the elite level, and for those lucky few - at whatever level of the game - who clinch the ultimate glory from a bowling perspective, it's a moment never to forget.
It takes skill and poise to achieve the double hat-trick, and for Nestles Gold youngster Ethan Couch, the moment came last Sunday in a Warrnambool and District Cricket Association under 15 match against Wesley Yambuk.
Even more special was the fact Couch got to take the double hat-trick on the new and revamped Reid Oval turf pitch, something he enjoyed immensely.
Incredibly, Couch - who usually plays in the under 13 team - was filling in for the side on the day, but managed to achieve the rare feat, snaring 4-6 in the process in an incredible performance.
"It felt pretty cool at the time, all my teammates got around me and it was really exciting," he told The Standard of his feat.
"It was by far my best achievement so far in cricket, I loved it and it felt really good."
MORE SPORT:
It's been an impressive season of junior cricket for Couch, with the young bowler snaring 10 wickets at an impressive average of under six, while he has also contributed almost 50 runs.
Couch said his love for cricket stems from playing with his siblings - Ruby, Ella, Jackson and Brody - in the backyard, with the latter going to play for the Melbourne Stars and Victoria this season to great success.
His father Corey is also a life member of the Nirranda Cricket Club, so it's safe to say that the game runs through the family's veins and has for decades.
He said all of his siblings had been tough to bowl to in the backyard and it helped his bowling on game day.
"I grew up around it and it was played in the backyard a lot, which was a lot of fun" he said.
"The toughest to bowl to was probably Brody, it takes a lot to get him out.
"It takes a good ball to get him."
The talented youngster said he was looking forward to playing junior cricket again next season in a higher grade and was hoping to go further with his cricket in the future.
"I'll start under 15s next year, and then if I go pretty well, I'd like to make it to country week," he said.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Bookmark https://www.standard.net.au/
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines and newsletters
- Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn
- Tap here to open our Google News page.
- Join our Courts and Crime Facebook group and our dedicated Sport Facebook group
- Subscribe
Now just one tap with our new app: Digital subscribers now have the convenience of faster news, right at your fingertips with The Standard:

Nick Creely
Sports reporter with The Standard
Sports reporter with The Standard