65 year old O'Dell takes all 10 wickets in historic bowling feat

A 65-year-old cricketer from Newcastle made history at the weekend, taking all 10 wickets in a single innings, including a hat-trick.

A life member of Newcastle City Cricket Club, Bradley O'Dell achieved the remarkable feat during a fourth-grade match against Wallsend District Cricket Club on Saturday.

The spin bowler finished with figures of 10 for 20 from 13.4 overs.

To put the achievement into context, it has only been accomplished three times in the history of Test cricket, first by English spinner Jim Laker against Australia in 1956 at Manchester.

Laker took 19 wickets for 90 runs across two innings.

While it is a long way from the hallowed turf of Old Trafford to Newcastle's Learmonth Park, O'Dell told ABC Newcastle Breakfast it was a great feeling.

"I haven't done that before, so was pretty happy with myself," he said.

"I got a big bear hug … and they [the team] sort of mobbed me, it was fantastic."

Five of O'Dell's wickets were caught, three bowled and two trapped leg before wicket.

He is the first player in Newcastle City Cricket Club's history to take all 10 wickets in an innings.

Opposition 'stunned'

Justin Moran, a Newcastle local scoring the match, said spectators were in awe of O'Dell's performance.

"No-one at the ground had ever seen it before," he said.

"Everyone knew it was a massive moment, even the other team was stunned."

The side also needed a convincing win to keep their semi-final hopes alive.

"They needed not just to win the game, but win it convincingly to make the semis," Moran said.

"Brad had given the younger players a go, but he brought himself on when the team really needed a breakthrough.

"He just kept putting [the ball] in the right spot and then makes it spin a little so it gets past the bat."

As captain, O'Dell also acts as a mentor, particularly for the team's teenage and early-20s players.

Even after bagging all 10 wickets, his focus remained on the team.

"He came up to the scorer's table, and he didn't ask what his figures were, he asked what the team score was," Moran said.

"Even in a personal glory moment like that, all he worried about was how many runs his team had to chase."

Thanks to O'Dell's heroics, Wallsend were bowled out for just 92 runs.

Newcastle City finished the day on 3-166, leading by 74 runs ahead of day two this Saturday.

Second record this season

It is not the only record to have fallen this season.

Late last year, 45-year-old Andrew Freeman, also in O'Dell's team, smashed 240 runs off 184 balls.

"In 110 years of the club being around, in this season, they've broken the batting record and the bowling record," Moran said.

"It's just crazy."