Newcastle bowler nabs 10 wickets in a single innings, including a hat-trick

A 65-year-old cricketer from Newcastle made history over the weekend, taking all 10 wickets in a single innings, including a hat-trick. This feat has propelled him to fame, making him a legend in the local cricket scene. His outstanding performance is a testament to his dedication and skill.

Bradley O’Dell, a lifetime member of the Newcastle City Cricket Club, accomplished this extraordinary feat in a fourth-grade match against the Waratah-Mayfield District Cricket Club on Saturday. The spin bowler finished with astonishing figures of 10 wickets for just 20 runs in 13.4 overs. His exceptional performance stunned everyone in attendance.

To better understand the significance of this achievement, only three times in the history of Test cricket has someone accomplished a similar feat. The first time was in 1956 when English spinner Jim Laker took 19 wickets for 90 runs in total across two innings against Australia in Manchester. While O'Dell's achievement may not compare to Laker's brilliance at Old Trafford, he told ABC Newcastle Breakfast it felt pretty good.

“I’ve never done it before, so I was pretty happy with myself,” O’Dell said. He added, "I got a big hug… my teammates got around me, it was great." Among O'Dell's opponents, five were caught, three were bowled, and two were dismissed leg before wicket. O'Dell is the first player in the history of the Newcastle City Cricket Club to take all 10 wickets in a single innings.

Newcastle local Justin Morahan, who was the scorer for the match, said the crowd was stunned by O'Dell's performance. Morahan said, "Everyone there had never seen anything like it. Everyone knew it was a significant moment, even the opposition team was shocked." Furthermore, the team also hopes to secure a spot in the semi-finals through this victory. Morahan added, "They not only needed to win the game, but they needed to win convincingly to make the semi-finals."

Morahan continued, stating that as captain, O'Dell is a mentor to the team, especially the young players in their teens and early twenties. Even after taking all 10 wickets, O'Dell's focus remained on his team. Morahan said, "He went up to the scorer's box and didn't ask what his figures were, but asked how many runs the team had. Even in such a moment of personal glory, all he cared about was how many runs his team needed to chase."

Thanks to O'Dell's heroic performance, the Waratah team was dismissed for just 92 runs. Newcastle City finished the day at 3-166, leading by 74 runs, and will play the second day of the match this Saturday. Morahan also revealed that this season has not only broken this record. Late last year, O'Dell's teammate, 45-year-old Andrew Freeman, hit 240 runs off 184 balls. Morahan concluded, "In the club's 110-year history, they've broken both batting and bowling records this season, which is just crazy."