Hats off to Alex Morrish

HAT-TRICKS are a rarity in cricket, but double hat-tricks are the real unicorns.

Four wickets in consecutive deliveries is almost unheard of, but Ouyen Rams strike bowler Alex Morrish pulled a rabbit out of the hat to achieve just that.

The 28-year-old managed the magical feat against old rivals Tempy Tigers in Red Cliffs Cricket Association action last week, helping the reigning premiers to a 74-run victory.

Morrish, the reigning Les Thurlow Medallion winner as A Grade best and fairest, had previously taken hat-tricks three times, without following up with a fourth wicket.

After his skipper Brad Parsons took the opening wicket of Darcy Cresp, Morrish ran through the top order in his third over, the fifth of the innings.

The first scalp was Ryan McKay, trapped LBW for seven, he then rattled the stumps of Ben Mole, Daniel Strauss and Zac Robertson to follow. This left the Tigers at 5/8 at the time.

Parsons’ described Morrish’s over as “one of the best I’ve ever seen” and lauded his bowling ability, but the wicket taker himself was much more humble regarding the unique achievement.

“I think I got a bit lucky really really,” he said. “I was just aiming for the top of off (stump), and a couple of the boys either missed it or chopped it back on to the stumps.

“I definitely wasn’t expecting the double hat-trick. I’ve been lucky enough to take three hat-tricks before but four in a row was definitely something new.”

Chasing a target of 140, Tempy were all out for 65.

Morrish’s season-best haul of 5/12 has taken him to 16 wickets for the year at an average of just 6.3, a strike rate of 20.6 and a miserly economy of 1.8.

The Rams remain undefeated for the 2022/23 campaign and with four home and away games remaining they are aiming to continue the streak beginning with Fire Brigade at Blackburn Park today.

“We’ve been playing some really good cricket,” Morrish said.

“Our captain Brad has been in great form with bat and ball and Connor Scultz has been making plenty of runs as well.

“We’d love to go back-to-back and it’s something we’re aiming for, but we also know we can’t get ahead of ourselves. We have just look at it a game at a time.”

In other games Cardross host Millewa while Robinvale Euston travel to Tempy.