Essendon paceman Tom O’Donnell snare first hat-trick, five-wicket haul

It was a day everything Essendon leader Tom O’Donnell touched turned to gold as he claimed a first hat-trick and Premier Cricket five-for.

It was the type of day where everything touched turns to gold.

That was Essendon spearhead Tom O’Donnell’s Sunday as he led a demolition of Geelong at Windy Hill.

O’Donnell finished the match with two special milestones, his first Premier Cricket five-wicket haul and his first career hat-trick.

The Bombers quick snared the final two wickets of Geelong’s first dig in successive balls and when the Cats were asked to follow on he trapped opener Hayden Butterworth lbw with the first ball in the innings, much to the delight of teammates and supporters.

His 7-37 are the best figures by any bowler in Premier Cricket this season and sees O’Donnell jump to the top of the competition’s wicket-taker charts with 27 scalps.

Tom O’Donnell on a hatrick……you know what’s coming! ⁦@vicpremcricket⁩ pic.twitter.com/l1KNXeSZ8T

— Essendon CC (@EssendonCC) January 22, 2023

The Essendon favourite said it was all a blur.

“It was pretty cool actually,” O’Donnell said.

“I knew (I was on a hat-trick) but I really wasn’t thinking about it, we’d gone off for 10 minutes, and I was just trying to hit the top of off stump.

“I couldn’t even tell you what happened, I just bowled it, it hit the pad and I started yelling. There was nothing scientific about it.

“I wasn’t running too far after getting the wicket, I was pretty sore, so I wasn’t doing any more running than I needed to.

“It’s definitely my best (bowling figures), I’ve had four-fors and I was saying to one of the boys, the past three or four four-fors I’d done a hamstring or a groin going far too hard trying to get five.

“I get a bit nervous when I get to four because history says something goes wrong but I think I’ve turned a corner.”

In the first two-day match of the season – and the first since 2020 – Essendon posted 237 in the first innings on Saturday, led by Isaac Willett (72) and Chris Williams (64).

Tom O'Donnell in action for Essendon. Picture: Andy Brownbill

The Bombers attack then went to work on Sunday.

While O’Donnell snagged seven wickets, pace partner Cam McClure finished with 2-31 as Geelong was dismissed for 131.

When O’Donnell struck with the first ball to remove Butterworth, the outright win was in reach.

However, Emilio Gay (20) and Liam Blackford (49no) steadied the ship and saw the Cats through to stumps.

O’Donnell said it was a pleasure – and pain – to pull on the whites again.

“It was nice to have the whites back on to be honest after three years of one-day cricket,” he said.

“It was good to get the loads up to be honest, which was painful and exciting. It was a bit of a shock to the system but awesome.

“Red ball is a different beast, you can get into your work and put some spells together.

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“We felt we might have left some runs out there (on Saturday) but the fielding group is going great.

“Cam McClure is bowling unbelievably as well, it’s nice to bowl in tandem with him with his consistency and professionalism.

“If we’re working on anything we’re working on consistency, that’s what the best sides do, but it’s nice to get the win and a bit of confidence.”

The win sees Essendon sit in seventh with a trip to third-placed Melbourne over the next two weekends.