Unlike your standard office printer, Jay Willis is never off line.
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Batsmen can’t connect with him, wickets are his jam, and people want to throw him the ball, not out a window.
Since moving from the now-defunct Tigers to Trevallyn at the start of the TCL season, The Foot and Playsted printer has enjoyed a breakout season, taking a wicket from his first ball for the club and another 22 since to boast an average of 9.43.
But that’s not even the good bit.
Willis has taken two hat-tricks in the past three weeks, and had a hat-trick ball the weekend in between.
He had another two hat-trick balls earlier this season.
Not bad for a ‘bit of everything’ bowler who hadn’t taken a hat-trick for more than 30 years.
“I got one hat-trick in 1982 in the under-12s,” Willis said.
“I got a McDonalds encouragement award for it, that was up the mainland.”
Willis’ first hat-trick of the season came against Exeter last month, when he claimed 5-12 off 3.2 overs.
The wickets were split between overs - meaning the feat went uncelebrated until it was brought to light after the game – but everyone knew what was coming when he claimed two in a row last weekend against Beaconsfield.
“(The first) was caught at mid-on by our A-reserve keeper who’d come up, so he didn’t have his gloves on so that was pretty good.
“The second one was edged off the top of the bail into the keeper’s gloves and the third one was edged off the top of the bail into the keeper’s gloves.
“The next ball was for a double hat-trick, that hit him on the pads and I appealed for LBW trying to get four in a row.
“It was given not out but I bowled him next ball.”
A Tasmanian for the past 14 years, Willis played a handful of seasons at Tigers before finding a new home at Trevallyn with four teammates last year.
Willis said it was a special moment when four ex-Tigers players lined up in the Trevallyn XI for the first time last weekend.
“All the blokes who came from the Tigers are really enjoying it up at Trevallyn, it’s a really good cricket club, really well run and they’ve made everybody feel really welcome. You don’t pick where you play but you play where you’re picked.”
Willis’ Trevallyn side travels to Perth this weekend.