Simon Black discusses his history-making double hat-trick for Plenty Valley
Plenty Valley paceman Simon Black just wishes he had have celebrated a bit harder after taking a history-making double hat-trick.
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Asked if he’d ever taken a hat-trick before Simon Black was quick as a whip.
“I suppose still I haven’t got a hat-trick, I’ve only got a double hat-trick but hopefully I can get one one day,” he said.
The popular Plenty Valley paceman played down his history-making achievement this week after taking a double hat-trick – four wickets in four balls – against Kew on Saturday.
It was just the ninth time in Sub-District history and just the third time since 1965.
Black’s devastating spell saw Kew lose 7-14 after being 4-192 on the back of Andrew Chalkley’s century.
David Wildsmith (caught), Tom Chalkley (bowled) and Jacob de Paiva (bowled) fell in the last three balls of Black’s over to complete the hat-trick and Liam Powell (lbw) was out on the first delivery of his next over.
It sparked jubilant celebrations but Black says it could have been better.
“I didn’t realise to be honest, it all happened so quickly,” he said.
“It wasn’t too over the top, probably one thing I should have done was celebrated a bit harder.
“The ball started to reserve swing a bit, which helped, the wicket was pretty abrasive.
“The ball was pretty chopped up so we shined it up on one side and it started reserving.
“They were cruising so the guys that came out probably weren’t expecting it and I just got lucky with the ball moving so much.”
He finished with figures of 4-32 from 6.4 overs.
A second four-wicket haul takes Black to 20 scalps on the season at an average of 15.25 and fifth overall on the VSDCA North-East group wicket-taker charts.
Despite the double hat-trick Kew still prevailed by 27 runs.
The defeat leaves Plenty Valley in eighth, a game outside the top six, with four games remaining in the home-and-away season.
Black said the club had lost momentum after the Christmas break but believed finals were still on the table.
“It was a shame we didn’t end up getting the win, we thought we’d put ourselves back in front, bowling them out for 200, but unfortunately we couldn’t get the runs,” he said.
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“There’s a bit of work to do but if we win all our games we should make it.
“We haven’t been good after Christmas, I think we’ve only won the one game, we were second or third and we’ve dropped out of the six now.
“There’s still a lot of positives, we’ve got a lot of young kids going well, there’s a good mix of kids and senior players.”
Plenty Valley hosts Donvale at Yarrambat War Memorial Reserve on Saturday.
DOUBLE HAT-TRICK, CENTURY IN SUBBIES THRILLER
As the famous quote goes “it’s all happening” and it really was at Victoria Park on Saturday as one of the more incredible games of the season played out.
A drought-breaking century and ultra-rare double hat-trick were the highlights as Kew edged Plenty Valley by 27 runs.
Kew opener Andrew Chalkley scored his first ton of the VSDCA campaign, a wonderful 105 from 84 balls, and his first since December 2020.
Bats paceman Simon Black then stole the show with four wickets in four balls, just the ninth double hat-trick in association history, the first in Plenty Valley history and first since Ormond’s Dale Christie in 2012-13.
Kew captain Chris Weeks said it was one of the craziest games he’s been a part of.
“Chalks is a naturally talented bloke, he’s never far away (from a big score),” he said.
“He rode his luck but when he’s up and going and in that sort of mood, he’s the most destructive player in the competition in my opinion.
“Then (Black) got a double, it was a bizarre day, but it was pretty stunning to watch.
“I talked to him after the game and he said he got it reversing a little bit and our blokes in the middle and lower order just weren’t good enough to keep them out.
“You never like being on the receiving end of that but I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Black finished with 4-32 from 6.4 overs as he dismissed David Wildsmith (33), Tom Chalkley and Jacob de Paiva with the last three balls of an over before bowling Liam Powell with the first ball of his next over.
Kew collapsed from 4-192 to all out 206.
However, it proved enough as Jacob de Paiva (2-28) and Jack Carroll (2-39) helped keep Plenty Valley to 8-179 in their 45 overs.
Liam Mallia top-scored with 38 and Nish Perera knocked in 29, while Black added 20 runs.
“Credit to our boys, the game went from well within our control to them fighting back really well,” Weeks said.
“Cricket is such a game of momentum … we went into the field and credit to Hasto (John Hastings) and Tom Chalkley to wrestle it back with the ball.
“We could have easily got caught in the trap of trying to bowl blokes out rather than sticking to our processes, so I was really pleased.
“They’re a dangerous side, it’s always a good contest against Plenty Valley, we got challenged and we answered it.
“I’ve said it before but our bowling attack gets under-rated week-in, week-out.”
In his first full season of First XI cricket, Carroll now has 20 wickets 15.85, ranked sixth in the North-East group.
The young spinner has been a revelation, stepping into Alistair Burge’s role, and got plenty of praise from his captain.
“Losing (Alistair) Burge and Jack Carroll coming in and playing a really critical role,” Weeks said.
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“He’s a guy that’s come through our juniors and had a really good grounding and been able to develop his skills in the Second XI.
“It’s no surprise to us at the club that he’s translated that, he’s got an opportunity this year in the First XI, it’s really pleasing.”
Kew remains on top of the North-East group ladder, six points clear of Endeavour Hills and Strathmore.
They travel to Box Hill on Saturday with four games remaining in the home-and-away season.
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