Witney Swifts’ veteran seamer Mark Horne could not hide his delight after taking an incredible five wickets in five balls of the same over, writes Nick Farrant.

The unusual feat happened in their crushing 264-run victory against Swinbrook 2nd in their opening match of their OCA League Division 8 campaign on Saturday.

Swifts were in top form, Derek Craig leading the way with a superb 91.

Finlay Boland (76 no) and Rob Pratley (57) also contributed as they rattled up a formidable 329-4.

Horne, 46, then took centre stage, finishing his three over spell with staggering figures of 5-1, with all his wickets coming in consecutive deliveries.

All were bowled.

Youngster Liam Readhead chipped in with 4-9 from 6.3 overs as Swinbrook were dismissed for 65 to cap a brilliant day for the bowlers.

Dominic Grace hit 35 for the visitors Horne, who is in his second stint at Swifts, having returned from playing at Combe, said he had no inkling of what was going to happen.

“My first over was a maiden and I noticed the ball was swinging a bit,” he said.

“When I came back for my second over my first ball just missed the stumps.

“Then I bowled their fellow and then did the same with the next four balls.

“My teammates were over the moon, because they kept coming in and I kept sending them back.

“The skipper kept me on and I conceded only one run in my WHAT A PERFORMANCE: Witney Swifts 2nd bowler Mark Horne pictured after his amazing five wickets in five balls in their win at Swinbrook PRINTED and published by Newsquest Oxfordshire - a Gannett company - trading as the Witney Gazette, Newspaper House, Osney Mead, Oxford OX2 0EJ (01865) 425262.

9 770962 859084 19 CRICKET next over, but then he took me off. I think it was probably to give the youngsters a bit of a chance to bowl.

“I think it’s one of those things that happens once in a lifetime.

“I’ve taken hat-tricks a number of times, but I’ve never done anything like that.”

There was a poignant moment before the game at Witney’s ground at The Leys.

Both sets of players stood either side of the stumps, where they observed a minute’s silence for Swifts’ former president and player Percy Fisher, who died last week, aged 90, after a short illness.

Horne said: “Percy was a real club man at Witney Swifts and even when he was well into his 60s he would help us out if we were short.

“He was always down at the club doing something and he was always watching our games down here.

“I think he would have been very proud of what happened.

“He was probably up there looking down.

“I’m sure he had a hand in what happened.”

Horne, who first joined Swifts in 1989, said there had been no real secret to his golden spell of bowling.

He added: “I bowl mainly inswing, with a bit of seam, although bowling into the wind made it more difficult to get it to swing.

“I was having to pitch it wide of the off stump and got it to dart back, so it worked really well.

“It was a good day and a really good win for us.

“ I’m still enjoying my cricket.

I’m only 46 and hopefully I’ve got a few years left in the game yet.”