TEENAGER Jake O’Flaherty starred with a maiden bowling hat-trick on Saturday on a dusty Kingower pitch.
His senior hat-trick saw Boort Yando almost overshadow the ramapaging top side and skipper Jayden Leach’s seven-wicket haul in the Upper Loddon Cricket Association clash.
O’Flaherty was backing up from the junior match on Saturday morning, in which he took 2-0 off two overs as the Magpies skittled Wedderburn Band for just 21 runs.  He followed that up with 19 retired not out from 18 balls against the Band.
On the day, he ended up with 6-20, including that remarkable hat-trick.
Kingower, playing at home, were rattling along at 5-198 when O’Flaherty struck.
He had already picked up the wicket of Leach – no mean feat in itself – for 16, but no one was expecting his 34th-over heroics.
With his fourth ball, O’Flaherty took the wicket of Tyler Murphy for 23, and with the next delivery had David Rose caught for 24.
Alex Abate headed to the crease amid some gallows humour from the Kingower team and promptly chipped the first ball he faced to Blake Slatter at short mid-wicket, sealing O’Flaherty’s hat-trick.
The young bowler was swamped by teammates as they hailed his feat, which reduced Kingower to 8-198 with one over remaining.
O’Flaherty was one of five juniors playing in the Boort Yando side, along with Tristen Zanker, Jacob Malone, Deklan King and Cooper Gooding.
The Magpie celebrations were relatively short-lived, however, as Leach put on a masterclass of medium-pace bowling.
He took the first seven wickets to fall, at one stage having 4-5, and then performed a run-out to claim Boort Yando’s eighth victim. Leach, too, was on a hat-trick, which a nervous Gary Zanker managed to deny.
The Kingower skipper ended with 7-15, topping his 7-26 against Arnold in the first round.