Before July 10, 2025, there were six instances of a bowler picking up four wickets in four balls, with the latest coming last year by Herman Fernell for Argentina. But that was the second occasion of a bowler picking five wickets in five deliveries. Quite interestingly, Curtis Campher is the common link of both the records, as he got the first record in 2021 against the Netherlands in Abu Dhabi. 

The Ireland all-rounder got five wickets in five balls for the Munster Reds against North-West Warriors in the Inter-Provincial T20 trophy and ended with magical figures of 5/16 in 2.3 overs. Across the second and third overs, he took those wickets as the opposition fell from 87/5 to 88 all out. The last wicket was of Josh Wilson, who had no idea of the ball swinging back.

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In the very previous delivery, Robbie Millar went deep into the crease and poked it to the wicket-keeper. Later, on the first ball of the 14th over, Andy McBrine, who made 29 runs in 26 balls, looked to launch on the back foot over the cow corner. But he didn’t have much power in the shot as Doheny grabbed a fine catch after using his eyes to shade the sun.

Watch: Curtis Campher takes 5 wickets in 5 balls to make history

The entire drama started on the penultimate ball of the 12th over when Jared Wilson was on the backfoot in front of the swinging ball. Campher hit him on the pads through the huge gap between bat and ball as the ball swung back immensely. Hume was the second ball to get dismissed in the same leg before the stumps fashion. The bowler didn’t even try to appeal as the umpire was nearly reluctant to raise his finger.

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5⃣ WICKETS IN 5⃣ BALLS?

What have we just witnessed Curtis Campher 🤯

SCORE ➡ https://t.co/tHFkXqkmtp#IP2025 pic.twitter.com/UwSuhbvu9k

— Cricket Ireland (@cricketireland) July 10, 2025

‘Because of the change of overs, I wasn't really sure what was happening. I just kind of stuck to my guns and kept it real simple and luckily it kind of went off.’ Campher expressed at the end of the innings before jokingly adding that he wouldn’t be thinking of having a double hat-trick if the possibility was there.

However, as mentioned earlier, it was the first occasion of a bowler picking five wickets in five balls. The honour belongs to Zimbabwe women's all-rounder, Kelis Ndhlovu, who grabbed the feat for their U-19 side against the Eagles Women in the domestic T20 event last year.

Ireland Women are all set to host Zimbabwe in a limited-overs series later this month, featuring three T20Is and two ODIs. Cricket Ireland has announced the squads for both formats, with Gaby Lewis leading the side and Orla Prendergast named as vice-captain.

The series begins on 20 July with the first T20I at Pembroke Cricket Club and will conclude with two ODIs at Stormont. This series also marks the beginning of Lloyd Tennant’s tenure as Head Coach of the Ireland Women’s team.

A major talking point from the squad announcement is the inclusion of 19-year-old off-spinner Lara McBride, who has earned her maiden senior call-up. McBride caught the selectors’ attention with her consistent performances in the Evoke Super Series and her impressive stint at the ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup earlier this year.

Lara McBride earns maiden call-up as Ireland gear up for crucial World Cup Qualifier build-up

National Women’s Selector Ciara O’Brien emphasised the significance of the series in the context of Ireland’s preparations for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier, scheduled for late August. “These matches against Zimbabwe – followed by the T20I series against Pakistan – are a crucial lead-in to the all-important T20 World Cup Qualifier,” O’Brien said. “It’s also encouraging to see fresh talent like Lara McBride earn a deserved opportunity at the highest level.”

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Ireland holds a strong record against Zimbabwe in both formats. In T20Is, they have emerged victorious in all seven previous meetings. In ODIs, Ireland has won six out of eight encounters, with one match ending in a tie. The series will serve as an excellent opportunity for Ireland to fine-tune combinations and assess players ahead of key fixtures in the global qualification calendar.

Ireland vs Zimbabwe Women's Series Fixtures

T20I Squad: 

Gaby Lewis (c), Ava Canning, Christina Coulter Reilly, Laura Delany, Amy Hunter, Arlene Kelly, Louise Little, Sophie MacMahon, Jane Maguire, Lara McBride, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Rebecca Stokell

ODI Squad:

Gaby Lewis (c), Ava Canning, Christina Coulter Reilly, Alana Dalzell, Laura Delany, Sarah Forbes, Amy Hunter, Arlene Kelly, Louise Little, Jane Maguire, Lara McBride, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast

IRE vs WI Match Preview:

The first match of the T20I series between Ireland and the West Indies is scheduled to be played on the Bready Cricket Club Ground. Both teams are coming into the series with poor recent form. Ireland managed to win only 1 match out of their last 5, while West Indies lost all their recent five matches.

Ireland lost their last series against Zimbabwe. On the other hand, the West Indies suffered a 3-0 whitewash against England. In this series West Indies will aim to improve their performance. The sudden retirement of Nicholas Pooran has further impacted the Caribbean side in this format. 

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IRE vs WI Match Details:

• Match: IRE vs WI Match 1st T20I
• Date: 12 June 2025
• Match Start Time: 07:30 PM IST
• Stadium/Venue: Bready Cricket Club Ground
• Live Streaming: JioHotstar and Fan Code app.

IRE vs WI Head-to-Head Stats:

Pitch & Weather Report:

IRE vs WI Probable Playing11:

Ireland (IRE) Probable XI:

Andrew Balbirnie, Paul Stirling (c), Ross Adair, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Harry Tector, Mark Adair, George Dockrell, Barry McCarthy, Josh Little, Ben White, Gavin Hoey

West Indies (WI) Probable XI:

Johnson Charles, Evin Lewis, Shai Hope (c & wk), Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Jason Holder, Shimron Hetmyer, Romario Shepherd, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph

IRE vs WI Dream11 Top Picks: (Last 5 T20I)

Player Insights:

• Mark Adair (IRE) is a key player from Ireland. He improved his batting skills in the last few years and emerged as an impactful player.
• Lorcan Tucker (IRE) is a talented wicket-keeper batsman. He can score quickly and earn fantasy points behind the stump. Therefore, he will be a good pick.
• Jason Holder (WI) was excellent in the recently concluded series against England. He is an experienced all-rounder and has the potential to deliver at crucial stages.
• Romario Shepherd (WI) emerged as a proper hard-hitter all-rounder in the WI setup. He showcased his ability during the IPL in a match against CSK. 
• Johnson Charles (WI) is renowned for his attacking nature. He played some furious knocks against England. He seems to be in good touch.
• Shai Hope (WI) is a technically sound batsman, as per his previous records and reputation, he could be a good pick. 

IRE vs WI Dream11 Team:

Captain & Vice-Captain Choices

• Best Captain Picks: Johnson Charles, Shai Hope
• Best Vice-Captain Picks: Mark Adair, Romario Shepherd

Probable Winners:

West Indies (WI) is expected to win this match. Although their recent performance is not good, they have an explosive batting line-up and an experienced bowling unit. However, Ireland is also a good side in the T20 format, making this an exciting contest.  

Predicted Winner: Durham (DUR).

The present Cricket West Indies (CWI) high-performance manager Graeme West is ready to take up the Director of High Performance role at Cricket Ireland (CI).

Graeme West will start the new role at Cricket Ireland next month. Although he hasn’t played any top-flight cricket, he has the Level 4 ECB Coaching qualification, which is the highest level. 

West was the coach of the West Indies U19 team during the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2016. In the final of that tournament, West Indies U19 team beat India U19 team by five wickets to win the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup tournament for the first time. 

During his early coaching career, West was the Academy Director of Middlesex County Cricket Club. During his tenure, he guided talented Irish youngsters like Andrew and Stuart Poynter, Paul Stirling, and Andrew Balbirnie. 

West started his journey for the CWI in 2012. He was the chief of the CWI High Performance Centre in Barbados. After working with the U19 and A teams, he started as the CWI High Performance Manager in Antigua. He was responsible for the expansion of the High Performance Pathway.

West designed the Academy programs to continue the growth of talented young players, elite coaches, and sports science staff across the region.

I am delighted to be joining Cricket Ireland: Graeme West

West is excited about his new role at Cricket Ireland. 

West stated, "I am delighted to be joining Cricket Ireland as the organisation continues to grow and strengthen. The Strategic Plan for 2024-27 is incredibly exciting and I look forward to applying my experience and philosophy to the wealth of talent and expertise that has been assembled as we further establish Ireland as a major cricketing nation."

On the other hand, the CEO of Cricket Ireland, Warren Deutrom, opened up reasons for Graeme West’s recruitment. 

Deutrom stated, "When we set out to create and recruit for the role, the profile, initiative and experience that Graeme possesses is exactly what we were looking for. We knew that in order to be successful in this new role, the candidate required leadership experience, exceptional people skills and the ability to be a mentor as much as a manager. In Graeme, we believe we have found that candidate.

"As an organisation, we are going through a process of reviewing and evolving our operations to ensure we are fit-for-purpose as a Full Member in a rapidly changing environment. One of the strategic decisions we made was to acknowledge the scale and scope of our work has outgrown our pre-Full Member structures."

Ireland men's team has a busy schedule in 2025

The Ireland men’s team will face South Africa in a two-match T20I and a three-match ODI series from September 27. 

The next calendar year, 2025, will be a busy year for the Ireland men’s team. After touring Zimbabwe in early 2025, Ireland will host the West Indies, England, and Afghanistan before their tour to Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. They will play two Tests against the hosts Zimbabwe, only one home Test against Afghanistan, and two Tests against the hosts Bangladesh.  

Meanwhile, Ireland Women’s team is hosting England Women in a three-match WODI series and a two-match WT20I series.