Henry Shipley’s hat-trick stuns Wellington in Ford Trophy opener:
The 26-year-old genuine allrounder has taken a rare one-day hat-trick. It’s just the fourth in 52 seasons of the competition, and he did it at the Cello Basin Reserve as Canterbury made a flying start against the Wellington Firebirds in the new season of men’s Domestic white-ball action.
The Ford Trophy began in 1971/72, and Shipley is the first man to perform the feat for Canterbury, emulating Frankie Mackay for the Canterbury Magicians in the 2015/16 women’s Hallyburton Johnstone Shield.
Today’s hat-trick also cemented Shipley’s maiden one-day five-wicket bag, and he wasn’t done, going on to take his sixth wicket six balls later when he dismissed Logan van Beek off his next over.
The wicket-fest left the Firebirds reeling at 114/7 after their first 20 overs of the chase, still a distant 154 runs away from their target – and after having earlier sent Canterbury in.
Canterbury had posted 267/8 in their 50 overs, Tom Latham, in his 50th one-day match for Canterbury, and Leo Carter both contributing half centuries as the team strung together partnerships and batted deep.
That wasn’t an option for the Firebirds after the Shipley wrecking ball dismantled their middle order in the 13th over.
Shipley had already accounted for opening batsman Rachin Ravindra with just his third delivery of the day, at 41/1 in the fifth over.
Tom Blundell (58 off just 35 balls) single-handedly peeled 22 runs off him in the ninth over, but Shipley bounced back to have Wellington captain Troy Johnson caught behind in the 11th.
After Sean Davey had chipped out Blundell in the 12th with a skied edge well taken by a running Latham, the history began for Shipley with his second delivery in the 13th as he bowled debutant Tim Robinson.
Lauchie Johns was trapped next ball, bringing Luke Georgeson to the middle to face the critical delivery.
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Georgeson squirted another catch through to Latham and Shipley inked his name into the record books.
Shipley finished with an unforgettable 6-40 off his eight overs, and Canterbury went on to chalk up a big 102-run victory, the Firebirds bowled out for 165 in 28.1 overs and conceding a bonus point to their opponent.
The Auckland Aces, Northern Districts, Central Stags and Otago Volts all play their first match on Thursday, in Auckland and Dunedin.
HAT-TRICKS IN THE FORD TROPHY
1984/85: Willie Watson (7-23) for Auckland Aces v Otago Volts in Auckland.
1989/90: Scott Briasco (4-48) for Central Stags v Auckland Aces in Napier.
2000/01: Matthew Walker (3-40) for Wellington Firebirds v Otago Volts in Dunedin.
2022/23: Henry Shipley (6-40) for Canterbury v Wellington Firebirds in Wellington.
