Something that almost passed without notice was a report of a hat-trick by Tom Anders in the RCDI league match against YMCA in the first match of the year. As everyone knows hat-tricks are rare events - there have been only five in senior cricket [RCD1/RCD2/LSC] since 2011.
Looking back over the records for the 98 years years of senior cup and league competitions there have been 90 recorded, starting with W D Allen in 1919 [another Phoenix player although on this occasion playing for DU]. Phoenix have the most hat-tricks with the famous Jimmy Boucher getting no less than six of these.
The breakdown as between the clubs is set out below.
| Civil Service | 3 | 1921- 1928 |
| Clontarf | 10 | 1922 - 1975 |
| Co Kildare | 2 | 1922 - 1923 |
| Leinster | 7 | 1920 - 2014 |
| Malahide | 1 | 1966 |
| Merrion | 5 | 1934 -2008 |
| North County | 4 | 1993 - 2009 |
| O Belvedere | 7 | 1964 - 2004 |
| Pembroke | 6 | 1921 - 2015 |
| Phoenix | 15 | 1935 - 2017 |
| Railway U | 8 | 1926 - 2014 |
| Rush | 3 | 1999 - 2008 |
| Terenure | 1 | 1994 |
| The Hills | 5 | 1990 - 2015 |
| Trinity | 7 | 1919 - 1956 |
| UCD | 1 | 1924 |
| YMCA | 5 | 1967 - 1998 |
Recent hat-tricks include Joe Carroll for Leinster v Phoenix and Pat Collins for Railway v North County in 2014 and Deon Carolus for The Hills v Balbriggan and Jono Cook for Pembroke v Terenure in 2015. Although no ages are given for players from earlier times, it is possible that Tom Anders is the youngest player to take a hat-trick in senior cricket. If anyone wants to suggest a candidate who was younger please let me know. A full list of the players who have taken hat-tricks will be posted in the History Section in the coming days.