For most bowlers, taking eight wickets for seven runs is the ultimate day on the park. Rivergum’s Ryan Thompson is not most bowlers.
The 34-year-old captured 8-7 on the weekend, but still was not satisfied as he walked back to the clubrooms.
“I was in my third over and I was on a hat-trick,” he said. “I bowled an inswinging yorker but it just tailed away.
“It cut him in half. I have no idea how it missed!”
Thompson, plays for Rivergum, based in the outer north, in the North Metro Cricket Association and bowls right arm mediums.
He came out of retirement this season, and says he is enjoying his cricket more than ever.
With good reason, too. Playing in the twos, Rivergum travelled to play Olympic Colts in the round seven fixture.
The Colts sent Rivergum in to bat, and after a shaky start posted 8-277. Rivergum declared, and had 10 overs at the Colts without a breakthrough before stumps on day one.
On day two, the Colts were rolled for 142 in the 47th over. Thompson was the only bowler not to take a wicket.
“We had a break for tea and then decided to go for the outright,” Thompson said. “We really needed it.”
With the Colts back at the crease, Thompson struck on his first ball, got two wickets in his second over, three in his third – including the missed hat-trick – one in his fourth and then took his eighth wicket with the first ball of his fifth over. His final figures were 4.1-2-7-8 and the Colts finished all out for 33.
“Getting an outright is usually quite difficult because blokes don’t wanna give their wicket away in the second innings,” Thompson said. “But we did it easy, 9.1 overs.”
“We just got on a roll. You get a wicket and the team morale fires up.
“Then we went back to the club, and when you’ve done well everyone congratulates you.
“It’s a really great club so it was good to have a day out, everyone gets behind you and then you sit back and have a beer and a laugh.”
