Young fast bowler Nathan Smith will be hoping for another day like Tuesday on Friday.
The 16-year-old right-armer took nine for 31 to help seal a seven-wicket win for Waitaki Boys' in its annual interschool fixture against Timaru Boys' this week.
Smith took three for 41 earlier in the game, so finished with match figures of 12 for 72.
His remarkable haul included a double hat trick - four wickets in four balls - and he will start the fixture next year on a hat trick having picked up the last two wickets with consecutive deliveries.
Tomorrow shapes as an even bigger occasion for the talented teenager. He is the North Otago team which will challenge Canterbury Country for the Hawke Cup in Rangiora.
Waitaki Boys' team manager Hamish McMurdo said he had high hopes for Nathan's future.''
We keep in pretty tight communication with his rep coaches at Otago cricket, and try and work as a team in order that he follows the right programme,'' McMurdo said.''
He is in the Otago under-17 team and has been in it for two years. He has been in the Hawke Cup team since last year, so he was in there as a 15-year-old and that is a pretty exceptional feat.''
Off the park Nathan ''is a guy that keeps his head down and does his school work''.''
He is quite academic. He is a very good basketballer and a pleasure to be around to be quite honest.''
