Worcestershire ke fans ko ummeed thi ki unki team Northamptonshire ke khilaaf ek majboot chunauti degi. Lekin kisi ne nahi socha tha ki yeh match ek aise pradarshan ka gawah banega jo cricket ke itihas mein hamesha yaad rakha jayega. Ben Sanderson, Northants ke teez bowler, ne na sirf match ko apni muthi mein liya, balki Worcestershire ki batting line-up ko ek hat-trick ke saath tabaah kar diya, aur 6 wickets sirf 8 runs dekar haasil kiye. Yeh ek aisa din tha jiske baare mein Northamptonshire ke fans lambe samay tak baat karenge.
Match 6 June 2025 ko khela gaya, jahan Northants ne pehle batting karte hue 190/5 ka score banaya, jismein Ricardo Vasconcelos ke 59 runs ka yogdaan sabse ahem tha. Yeh score shayad itna bada nahi tha ki Worcestershire jaise mazboot team ke liye mushkil paida karta, lekin Sanderson ke aage unki batting bilkul bebas dikhayi di. Unhone apne spell ke shuruaat se hi Worcestershire ke batsmen par dabav banaya, aur doosre over mein hi Rapids ke captain ko out karke apna khata khola. Iske baad Kashif Ali jaise khiladi bhi unke samne tik nahi sake. Sanderson ka jadoo tab chal pada jab unhone apne spell ke aakhiri over mein ek hat-trick poori ki, jo match ka turning point bana. Worcestershire 159 runs par dher ho gayi, aur Northants ne 31 runs se jeet haasil ki, jo unki lagataar chauthi jeet thi.
Yeh pradarshan sirf ek match jeetne ka nahi tha, balki Ben Sanderson ke cricketing safar ka ek shandaar hissa tha. Sanderson ka yeh roop dekhkar yaad aata hai 2016 ka County Championship, jab unhone 55 wickets liye the, jismein Gloucestershire ke khilaaf 8/73 ka career-best pradarshan shamil tha. Unka yeh consistent performance Northants ke liye ek bada asset raha hai. Isse pehle bhi, 2019 mein Sussex ke khilaaf unhone 6/37 aur 10/55 ke figures ke saath apni kabiliyat dikhai thi, jismein unhone Sussex ko 106 runs par samet diya tha. Woh match bhi Northants ke liye ek badi jeet thi, aur Sanderson usmein hero rahe the.
Northants ke liye yeh jeet ek naye utsaah ka sanket hai. Team ke kaptaan David Willey ne bhi is mauke par apni leadership dikhai, jabki Ravi Bopara jaise experienced khiladi ne batting mein consistency dikhayi. Yeh yaad dilata hai 2016 ke T20 Blast final ka, jab Sanderson ne 3/31 liye the aur Northants ne Durham ko hara kar title jeeta tha. Aise lamhe cricket ke maidaan par ek team ke liye nayi ummeed jagate hain. Ricardo Vasconcelos ke saath-saath dusre khiladiyon ka bhi yogdaan is jeet ko aur khaas banata hai. Northants ka yeh safar ab tak shandaar raha hai, aur Sanderson jaise khiladi ismein ek chamakta sitara hain.
Lekin yahan ek baat sochne wali hai. Sanderson ka yeh pradarshan unke talent ka saboot hai, lekin kya yeh unhe England ke liye khelne ka mauka dilayega? 2020 mein ek interview mein unhone kaha tha ki England ke selectors aksar pace ko tarjeeh dete hain, aur unki speed shayad utni nahi hai jitni Test cricket ke liye maangi jati hai. Unka yeh maan-na ki woh shayad kabhi England ke liye nahi khel payenge, ek chhota sa dukh chhupta hai. Ek aisa khiladi, jo county cricket mein itna consistent raha hai, uska international maidaan par na dikhna shayad cricket ke system ka ek nuksan hai.
Fir bhi, Ben Sanderson ka yeh shandaar pradarshan Northamptonshire ke fans ke liye ek yaadgaar pal hai. Worcestershire ke khilaaf unki hat-trick aur 6/8 ke figures na sirf unke career ka ek naya uchai hain, balki yeh bhi dikhate hain ki cricket mein kabhi bhi kuch bhi ho sakta hai. Lekin yeh sochne wali baat hai ki kya Sanderson jaise khiladi ko kabhi bada stage milega, ya woh county cricket ke nayak banke hi apna safar khatam karenge?
