New Zealand’s Brett Randell created history on Sunday by becoming the first bowler to claim five wickets with five consecutive balls in a first-class match.

Randell achieved the feat while playing for Central Districts against Northern Districts in a domestic Plunkett Shield match. His victims included former Black Caps opener Jeet Raval and current New Zealand seamer Kristian Clarke.

The achievement has previously occurred only once in professional T20 cricket, when former Ireland international Curtis Campher did so in a domestic interprovincial match.

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Randell started the remarkable spell by dismissing opener Henry Cooper with the final ball of his second over at McLean Park in Napier, a venue traditionally known for being batting-friendly.

He then bowled Raval with the first delivery of his third over. Randell completed his hat-trick when Joe Carter was caught behind off the next ball, and secured a double hat-trick when Robbie O’Donnell was caught in the slips.

Clarke became his fifth victim after he was bowled off an inside edge onto his leg stump.

At that stage, Randell had taken five wickets for just two runs, leaving Northern Districts struggling at 9-5 in reply to Central Districts’ first-innings total of 373.

Randell eventually finished with figures of 7-25 as Northern Districts were bowled out for 82.

The 30-year-old’s previous best bowling figures in a first-class innings were 6-45.