TEENAGER Josh Archer has blasted his way into the record books by taking five wickets in five balls, writes Martin Jarred.

The Dunnington bowler blew away the Burton Salmon batsmen in sensational style in division four of the HPH York Vale Cricket League.

Salmon were chugging along quite nicely until 17-year-old Archer got to work to finish with outstanding figures of 8-2-16-6.

His haul included top scorer Kevin Waite (48), Edward Westhead (5) and a procession of batsmen who were out for ducks – John Fenteman, Joe Foster, Mark Pawson and B Willoughby.

Salmon, who looked like compiling a big score were all out for 113, Dunnington knocking off the runs for the loss of six wickets.

Archer, who is York City FC’s youth team goalkeeper, is one of the few players in the world to have achieved ‘five in five’ at any level.

No bowler has achieved the feat in first-class cricket. The nearest was Charlie Parker in his own benefit match for Gloucestershire against Yorkshire at Bristol in 1922 when he struck the stumps with five successive deliveries but the second was called a no-ball.

Some 50 years later England’s Pat Pocock managed five in six balls for Surrey against Sussex at Eastbourne in a County Championship match.

West Indian legend Gary Sobers did take five wickets in successive deliveries for a Commonwealth Touring XI against Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, but that was not a first-class match.