Taking a hat-trick in any form of cricket is an extraordinary feat with most players going their entire careers without ever achieving bowling’s Holy Grail.
For Charles Darwin University’s Micah Thorbjorsen, the wait wasn’t so long.
The 19-year-old engineering student had the PINT C grade side confounded at Marrara Cricket Ground, taking a hat-trick bowling for only the fourth time in a game of cricket.
His first victim was caught at slip. His second had his leg-stump knocked out letting the ball go expecting it to spin the other way. And his third scalp, a left-hander, was stumped down the leg-side prodding forward with no idea.
"I was pretty stoked," Thorbjornsen said. "I thought it was pretty amazing. I could not believe it, I was astounded.
"I've just mucked around with my brothers playing backyard cricket and stuff before so it really is a complete surprise.”
The most disheartening thing for cricketers everywhere is that the match was only Micah’s tenth.
"Of course the first couple of games I was just trying to work out what to do on a cricket field," he said. "But for the last couple of months I've been working on my bowling. They seem to be coming out all right.
"Hopefully the skipper will give me a bit more of a bowl from now on."