Isle of Man veteran scripts historic feat at 51, shatters 96-year-old record

Isle of Man off-spinner Joanne Hicks has etched her name into international cricket history, becoming the oldest bowler, across both men's and women's formats—to take a five-wicket haul. At 51 years and 173 days old, Hicks achieved the landmark feat during a T20I fixture against Greece Women at the Moara Vlasiei Cricket Ground in Romania. The veteran spinner delivered a career-best performance, tearing through the opposition to finish with remarkable figures of 5/10, marking her third career five-wicket haul in international T20s.

96-year-old cricket record broken by 51-year-old cricketer

Hicks' lethal spell completely broke the back of the Greek batting lineup, skittling them out for a paltry 52 in just 15 overs. The Isle of Man batters made quick work of the run chase, wrapping up the target inside the Powerplay to secure an emphatic nine-wicket victory.

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Bert Ironmonger's long-standing record shattered

By taking her five-wicket haul, Hicks shattered a historic milestone that had remained untouched for nearly a century. The long-standing record was previously held by Australian left-arm spinner Bert Ironmonger, who was 49 years and 314 days old when he picked up five wickets against South Africa in 1932. Ironmonger’s feat came during a remarkable Test match where he bagged two five-fers on the same day, finishing with figures of 5 for 6 and 6 for 18, to rout South Africa for 36 and 45, handing Australia an innings victory.

Ironmonger went on to feature in 14 Tests before wrapping up his international career in 1933. Retiring at 50 years and 327 days old, the Australian icon was the second-oldest player in Test history at the time he stepped away from the game.

What makes Hicks’ latest feat even more extraordinary is that her international career only launched well into her late forties. Having made her Isle of Man debut at 47, she first wrote her name into the record books back in 2024 by bagging two five-wicket hauls in under a week against Greece and Malta. The second of those spells, coming at 49 years and 168 days old against Malta, originally set the mark for the oldest woman to claim a five-for in international cricket. Her recent performance, however, takes that legacy a step further, surpassing both her own women’s international record and the long-standing overall record held by Ironmonger. It was a masterclass in precision bowling as Hicks ripped through the Greek batting order with figures of 5 for 10. Her ruthless spell set up an effortless win for the Isle of Man, ensuring her historic individual milestone was capped off by a resounding team triumph.