James Hartshorn must be wondering what all the fuss is about.
T20's the format that's never been renowned for its kindness to bowlers, but with two wickets in his first over in the Dream11 Super Smash, and a bag and the new Wellington Firebirds record for T20 bowling by the end of it, Hartshorn went all right.
James Hartshorn with his first Super Smash wicket off his second delivery!
— Dream11 Super Smash (@SuperSmashNZ) January 4, 2025
Curtis Heaphy has to go and the Stags are 9-1.
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His 5/24 debut speccy goes down in history, eclipsing Ollie Newton's 5/45 in the Firebirds recordbooks and indeed joining the recently retired paceman as the only other player to take a five-wicket haul for the team in this format.
How's that for a debut? 🙌
— Cricket Wellington (@cricketwgtninc) January 4, 2025
James Hartshorn (upside-down) takes the best T20 figures in Wellington Firebirds history in his first match!
📸 @photosportnz pic.twitter.com/zZ8kID6dlr
The tall pace opener's dangerous outswinger brought him two big wickets in his first over of T20 cricket, at Nelson's Saxton Oval.
Curtis Heaphy and Dane Cleaver were both caught for no score as he tempted them to chase the swing, putting the 27-year-old on the first of two hat-trick opportunities in the same match.
The Stags were chasing 191 at Saxton, after half centuries from Firebirds Tim Robinson and Mo Abbas helped pull together Wellington's total of 190/5.
A second T20 half century in the green from Central opener Jack Boyle (66 off 45), and contributions from the middle order helped the Stags stay in the chase, despite a strong all-round bowling performance from the visitors.
 PHOTOSPORT
Coming back for three tailend wickets in the last over of the game - and again putting himself on an unconverted hat-trick, Hartshorn sealed his record-busting five-for with the final ball of the innings to give the Firebirds an 11-run win - their first of the competition in the high-scoring thriller.
The team's premier allrounder Logan van Beek had meanwhile turning in a class performance of his own, returning 3/28 and stopping the dangermen Bruce and Boyle at key moments - as well as ending Angus Schaw's career-best, explosive cameo of 32 off 15 that kept the Stags in the hunt.
 PHOTOSPORT
The Stags and Hinds will remain in Nelson to host Northern Brave at the same ground on Monday 6 January, but they will soon face the Blaze and Firebirds again, with the teams reconvening in the capital on Thursday for the return retro round at the Cello Basin Reserve - the first home match for the two Wellington teams.
Defending women's champion Blaze is the only unbeaten team in the women's league with two from two, now equal on eight points with the Otago Sparks at the top of the table but holding the top rung by virtue of a superior net run rate.
The Hinds, Northern Brave women and Kings are the only teams yet to get a win. Maybe they need a Hartshorn.