For John McGlashan College year 9 pupil Henry Scott it was a day of triumph mixed with, well not tragedy, but perhaps just not quite the whole shebang.
It was like all those years ago when Martin Crowe made 299 against Sri Lanka.
A great achievement but just could have been better.
John McGlashan College first XI was taking on Albion in a second grade match in Mosgiel on Saturday. McGlashan batted first and made 134.
Albion came in and, by the 10th over, was halfway there with no batsmen out.
Then Scott — who turned 14 yesterday — and his off-spinners came to the crease.
He grabbed a wicket in his first over, two more in his second over and he said by the end of his third over he had six wickets. Twice he was sitting on a hat-trick.
Albion kept getting the runs though as Scott continued slicing through the order.
He had nine wickets with the last pair at the crease, and a few runs needed.
So what happened?
Would the fairy tale be complete?
Into his ninth over, the ball flew to the square leg fieldsman and he grassed the chance.
Then with two runs to win, the ball went in the air.
A fielder got under it but he too, dropped the chance.
So with one run to win, Scott, a boarder at the school, from Cave in South Canterbury, threw the ball up and it was swept for six. Albion won by one wicket.
Scott had taken a rare nine-wicket bag but he could have easily had 10 wickets.
For him it all went very quickly.
‘‘It just happened. Just happened really fast.’’
Getting nine wickets was great but to get 10 wickets would have been better, along with winning the game, he said.
