By Tyler Lewis
Pakenham Upper Toomuc’s Nick Kyval has written himself into West-Gippsland Cricket Association folklore… again!
The Yabbies opening bowler claimed his third career hat-trick on Saturday against the top-placed Officer side.
The Yabbies were sent in by the Bullants and, after being 2/9, posted 5/166.
Kyval then stole the show in the second innings, sending Billy Carlyle, Jack James and Ash Smith back to the sheds in consecutive balls.
Kyval didn’t stop there; he went on to claim 5/23 off eight, as the Yabbies had the Bullants 6/13 at one stage.
The Bullants mounted a valiant comeback off the bat of Nick McLennan (60) and Aidan Pipicelli (65), but the loss of the early wickets ultimately cost the home side the match, falling four runs short in the final over (10/166).
Kyval trapped Carlyle in front leg-before, snicked off James and amazingly dismissed Smith from a short ball down the leg-side, caught at leg-slip.
The Yabbies bowler revealed while it managed to get the job done, it wasn’t exactly his most attractive delivery to date.
“I thought we had a decent total, but Officer’s top order is pretty strong,” he said.
“I was just happy to get those three wickets than any other personal hat-trick.
“Everyone comes in closer, but the ball stuck in my hand and it turned into a half-tracker, it’s possibly the worst ball I have bowled all year.
“I think the batter, any other ball he just hits that for four, probably hits me onto the second ground at Officer there, but I think he was a bit hesitant just because it was a hat-trick ball he just punched it,” Kyval said.
As many cricketers can only dream of taking a hat-trick, Kyval only has to look back through his memories, and he can do it for three separate occasions.
Despite accomplishing a hat-trick of hat-tricks, Kyval believes Bullants batter Ash Smith ‘made the hat-trick’ for him, with the pressure of the moment being in the bowlers favour.
“I actually thought at the top of my mark ‘I am bowling to Ash (Smith), he has a pretty good forward defence, no way I am beating it first rock, just bowl it, see what happens’,” he said.
“I guess he made the hat-trick for me, rather than me doing anything special.
“The first two were good rocks, but not the last one, just lucky,” Kyval said.
Devon Meadows, meanwhile, coasted to victory over Emerald.
Panthers number three Trent Delaney recorded a hat-trick of his own, recording a third successive half-century with 50 not out in his sides successful run chase.
Upper Beaconsfield required just 52.4 overs to bowl out and then chase the total set by Lang Lang.
The Maroons torpedoed the Swamp Tigers for just 94, then used just 20.2 overs to reach the target with just two casualties.
