Sport
2 November, 2025
Howzat! Tully takes 5/0 including his first ever hat-trick
A remarkable all-round performance from one cricketer carried Cavaliers to victory on Saturday.
Cody Tully has produced one of the more remarkable performances in Mount Isa Cricket history, scoring a quick-fire 41 off 14 balls and taking 5/7 in his four overs – including a hat-trick – as Cavaliers put paid to Panthers on Saturday.
Wearing the wrong team kit and battling the flu in 38-degree weather, Tully had the game of his life.
After Cavs won the toss and elected to bat, the 28-year-old came to the crease at 2/84 and then proceeded to hit 4, 4 and 6 in the first three balls of his innings.
"We were floating along pretty good, so I thought I'd keep the foot down," Tully said of his T20 innings that saw him finish on 41 with three sixes and five fours.
"I got dropped a few times so I thought I'd keep trying my luck."
His performance, along with Tanveer Hussain's 48 (19 balls) and Ajith ram reddy Nayani's 39 (36) paved the way for Cavaliers to post 8/181 in their allotted 20 overs.
However, it was with the ball that Tully really shone.
Life as an opening bowler can be difficult on the smaller-sized Captain Cook Oval, however Tully started with a bang, collecting two wickets in the opening over and conceding no runs.
By the time his next came around, Panthers were on the back foot.
His first ball of the third over moved slightly away from Didier di Stefano, who played and missed.
However, his second caught the edge and Nayani was ready with the gloves to snare the catch.
"They were in a bit of trouble and I know that it's always uncomfortable coming out to bat when you're under pressure so I thought I'd try and hit the pegs with the next batter," Tully said.
As it turns out, he smashed the front pad of Naresh Puvvada, who was promptly sent packing by well-respected local umpire Dennis Petrie.
With 4/0 and chasing his first hat-trick, Tully said he wanted to repeat the same dose to incoming batter Laksitha Gajasinghe.
"I've been on a hat-trick three times before and every time I've bowled a wide," the right-arm medium bowler admitted.
"This time I've got it on line and it's hit him on the pads again and it looked out.
"I was glad Dennis was umpiring (and not a teammate) because it's now a legitimate hat-trick."
However, the diesel fitter said there was no big celebration that afternoon or evening.
"I've been crook ever since," Tully said.
"I think I've got the flu or something."
As for being in the wrong uniform, the laid-back all-rounder admitted he had been too slow to order the new one.
"I haven't really played for a couple of years. I've just filled in every now and again," he told North West Weekly.
"I'll have to order the new kit so I don't stand out like dog's balls."
After his heroics with the ball, Panthers did well to bat out their 20 overs for 87 runs, mostly on the back of opener Douglas Richardson's 41 (43), who had to watch all of the early carnage from the other end.
Tully finished with 5/7 and the other Cavs player to finish with multiple wickets was James Nas, who returned 2/12 from his four.
POST-GAME REFLECTION
Between the end of the Cavs-Panthers game and the start of the Blackstars-Strikers clash, players from all four sides stopped to pay tribute to fallen cricketer Ben Austin, who died after he was struck by a cricket ball last week.
The 17-year-old, remembered as a "popular and much-loved" young man, was facing balls in the nets ahead of a Victorian T20 match when the injury occurred in front of his teammates.
Tully, who has been playing cricket since he was 10, said it was a shock to all cricketers.
"That's an unreal freak accident you wouldn't wish upon anyone," he said.
"You don't expect something like that to happen.
"Often you'll see people get hit and they'll be able to carry on playing. It's a tragedy."
Following the reflection, Blackstars went on to post 5/189 in their T20 against Strikers, following half-centuries from openers Nick Burton (55) and Jarrod Hill (52).
Newcomers Strikers struggled in their reply and were dismissed for 64.