Cricket Leinster Senior Hat-Tricks

When Hugh Kennedy took his third wicket in a row in the fourth over of the Premier League game against Malahide on Saturday, it was the 98th time that a hat-trick had been achieved since the Leinster Senior League was founded in 1919. 

Most bowlers never manage a hat-trick in their career but some famous names have done so in the past including Alex O’Riordan, Dougie Goodwin, Mike Halliday, Matt Dwyer, John Mooney and of course Jimmy Boucher [who managed the feat five times between 1935 and 1949]. Good company indeed. 

As wickets have improved it has become rarer for bowler to take hat-tricks and indeed the last time it was achieved in a senior match was in 2017 by Tom Anders for Phoenix against YMCA. 

There have been six Merrion players to take a hat-trick down the years, the first of which RF McCartan took place after the result of the game had been determined [playing on to the end of the day even though the game had been won or lost was common in this times].