A young cricketer has joined the ranks of the top international players by achieving the rare accolade of a hat-trick.

Emie Jones, 12, of Tavistock Cricket Club, has amazed her coach and her family by taking three wickets in three deliveries through her accurate bowling.

Hat-tricks (taking three wickets in three consecutive deliveries) are rare. Even England bowlers have only achieved 14 hat-tricks in Test cricket over 140 years.

Famous England cricketers who have achieved this include Moeen Ali, Matthew Hoggard, Dominic Cork, Darren Gough and Ryan Sidebotham. Stuart Broad is the only Englishman to take two Test hat-tricks (2011 and 2014) against India and Sri Lanka.

Englishmen have achieved a mere four one-day international hat-tricks: Steven Finn: vs Australia, in 2015; Andrew Flintoff: vs West Indies, 2009; Steve Harmison: vs India, 2004; and James Anderson: vs Pakistan, 2003.

Two Englishwomen have achieved hat-tricks in one-day internationals, Carole Hodges: vs. Denmark, 1993, and Charlie Dean vs. South Africa, 2024.

Into this hall of fame, steps Emie with her bowling for Tavistock CC U13s against Cornwood soft-ball team on Sunday, May 10.

Emie’s first wicket was caught by a fielder, her second she caught herself as her victim hit the ball direct to her and her third, she bowled directly out.

Sport-loving Emie is reticent about her success in terrorising batters. She said: “I was surprised that I bowled well to get three wickets. I was really pleased. All the team congratulated me. I felt really good.”

Her dad, an amateur football coach, said: “It’s a major achievement for anyone to take a hat-trick, even a professional player. But for Emie, who is so young and starting off, it’s very impressive. There were lots of high fives at the Cornwood game.

“Emie’s very hard on herself and her abilities. She’s got high standards for herself. Doesn’t really know how good she is, but we do as her parents and her fellow players and Tavistock Cricket Club certainly do.”

Emie’s hat-trick won her the match ball, a strikingly pink soft ball, to take home.

Steve Cox, Tavistock CC Junior Cricket coordinator and U13s girls cricket coach, said: “Emie’s developing into a great cricketer, bringing real energy, passion and teamwork to the game.

“It was a privilege to be umpiring and witness Emie take a hat-trick, such an amazing achievement, especially in her debut as softball cricket captain.

“However, the action didn't end then. Emie and her team played the following night in a great hardball cricket friendly against Mount Kelly College. She took two more wickets in a narrow defeat.”

He added: “We are so proud that in little over two years Tavistock Cricket Club now has one of the largest and most active girls cricket sections in the South West.”

Her admiring nan has bought a plinth for Emie’s treasured ‘trophy ball’ to take pride of place in the living room.

The next step is to look at joining the Devon Cricket Development Programme. And the future could involve either a cricketing or footballing career.