Record! Australia’s 22-year-old spinner scripts history, becomes first ever to...

Cooper Connolly, a 22-year-old Australian spinner, made history on Sunday, August 24, 2025, by becoming the first spinner from Australia to claim a five-wicket haul in an ODI match against South Africa at Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay. Bowling six overs for the Mitchell Marsh-led side, Connolly recorded figures of 5/22, marking the best-ever bowling performance by an Australian spinner on home soil.The young spinner's remarkable performance began when he dismissed Tony de Zorzi for 33 runs, caught by Alex Carey on the third ball of the 14th over during South Africa's run chase. His second wicket came in the form of Dewald Brevis, who was caught by Cameron Green after an aggressive innings of 49 runs off 28 balls, including two fours and five sixes.Connolly continued his impressive spell by claiming his third wicket when Wiaan Mulder, scoring 5 runs, was caught by Marnus Labuschagne in the 20th over. The fourth wicket followed shortly after when Corbin Bosch, who made 17 runs from 15 balls, was also caught by Labuschagne in Connolly's next over.The historic fifth wicket was secured on the fifth ball of the 24th over when wicketkeeper Josh Inglis stumped Keshav Maharaj, completing Connolly's maiden five-wicket haul in ODI cricket.Connolly's figures of 5/22 rank among the most impressive bowling performances in Australian ODI history against South Africa, joining the elite company of fast bowlers Andy Bichel (5/19), Brett Lee (5/22), Josh Hazlewood (5/31), and Nathan Bracken (5/67).The performance stands as the 10th-best bowling figures by an Australian bowler in Australia, placing Connolly alongside cricket legends like Mitchell Starc, Greg Chappell, and Carl Rackemann in the record books.In the context of spin bowling performances in Australia, Connolly's figures surpass previous benchmarks set by established spinners Brad Hogg (5/32), Shane Warne (5/33), and Adam Zampa (5/35), marking the best figures by an Australian spinner in home conditions.The achievement also places Connolly among the most successful spinners to have bowled in Australia, joining an illustrious list that includes international spinners like Yuzvendra Chahal, Ryan Burl, and Ravi Shastri, who have all recorded five-wicket hauls on Australian soil.This performance represents a significant milestone in Australian cricket history, particularly in the context of spin bowling, as it demonstrates the evolving role and effectiveness of spin bowlers in Australian conditions, traditionally known to favor pace bowling.The match, which featured a substantial target of 432 runs for South Africa to chase, saw Connolly's spell play a crucial role in the Australian team's bowling effort, with his economical figures of 5/22 from six overs significantly impacting the opposition's batting lineup.