One hat-trick is hard enough to come by. How about taking two in one game, one of them a double hat-trick? Photo / Photosport
One hat-trick is hard enough to come by. How about taking two in one game, one of them a double hat-trick? Photo / Photosport
Caleb Gaylard has a bit of form in this regard.
The Taradale left-arm swing bowler did something quite remarkable - at least by most people’s standards - in Saturday’s Hawke’s Bay premier men’s club cricket match, against Central Hawke’s Bay at Forest Gate Domain in Ongaonga.
Gaylard took a wicket with the last ball of the first over of the match, then the first two balls of the third over to complete his first hat-trick of the day.
But he wasn’t done there.
He then took wickets with each of the first four balls of the 13th over (what is known as a double hat-trick), finishing with figures of 7-10 as CHB were bowled out for 42. Taradale went on to win by nine wickets and Gaylard had another big haul to add to his collection.
The 33-year-old, who has played one Plunket Shield match for Central Districts, is no stranger to running through sides. He’s had one nine-for, a couple of eight-fors and multiple seven-fors over the years.
Then there are the hat-tricks.
Caleb Gaylard is presented with his Taradale cap by captain Ben Stoyanoff.
“Once in England I took five [wickets] in a row, then back here I had four in a row for Levin Old Boys,’’ Gaylard said.
But Saturday’s effort was slightly different, as the wickets came in two distinct clusters.
Every dismissal was leg before wicket (LBW) or bowled, with Gaylard getting the ball to swing back late to the right-handed batters.
“It’s a nice feeling when you do what you’re trying to do,” said Gaylard.
A former Manawatū and Horowhenua-Kāpiti representative, his career as a turf manager brought him to Hawke’s Bay a year ago. The introduction to Taradale came via longtime provincial opponent Ben Stoyanoff, who captains the club.
Gaylard’s not sure why some cricket balls swing and others don’t or if there was something about the conditions at Ongaonga that produced so much movement. Put it this way, he says: Taradale were going to bat first if they’d won the toss so there was nothing to suggest it was a day for swing bowling.
But, after claiming an early scalp, he quickly set his sights on a few more.
“It was just one of those scenarios where you do try and take wickets every ball,” Gaylard said.
“When you’re in that situation, why not? Just pitch it up and let it do its thing.
“It’s one of those days where your rhythm feels pretty good and you can trust what you’re doing.”
