Karramomus weapon Lachie Keady chats about his 10-wicket innings, growing up with a legend for a dad and more

That’s something only his son Lachie can say he’s done.

On August 3, playing for Formby’s second XI against Colwyn Bay in the Liverpool and District Cricket Association in the UK, the Karramomus son of a gun fired a salvo that only three Test cricketers in history have matched.

“It was quite surreal; I had just got back from France with some of the boys,” he said.

“I hadn’t really trained or anything and just rocked up to the game.

“We really needed a win since we were struggling and looking like we might get relegated.

“It was just a bit of a blur. We didn’t make enough runs. The pitch was fine — it wasn’t doing too much, but I was lucky to get the first four wickets and got on a bit of a roll.”

Defending an under-par 146, Keady was handed the new rock.

He didn’t strike immediately, but soon had the Welsh side buckling at 4-70 come drinks, and when Keady’s coach offered him the sage advice to keep on bowling, the wickets kept on falling.

The Bloods paceman removed the final six batters for 20 runs and as soon as the umpire triggered Colwyn Bay’s final player leg-before-wicket, Keady was immediately swamped.

“It was wild,” he said with a chuckle.

“There was a fair bit of celebration with all the boys jumping on top of me.

“I couldn’t believe it, to be honest. I didn’t have to buy a drink for two weeks, which was pretty good.

“All the boys really got around me after it. It was an amazing experience, really.”

Being the toast of the town — one nearly 17,000km from his own — was surely a surreal experience for the 22-year-old.

He’d intended to experience an English summer of cricket to meet new people.

Little did Keady know, he’d show the Liverpudlians a thing or two about the art of destructive bowling during his tenure in Merseyside.

And in return, Formby embraced him as one of its own.

“It was an amazing experience,” he said.

“I thought there was no better way to meet people and experience another country than through cricket.

“I was lucky enough to get picked up by Formby, about 20 minutes from Liverpool.

“They were amazing — very similar to the vibe here at home. Lots of great people; I never felt out of place.”

Keady barely had time to unpack his bags after touching down at home before donning Karramomus colours for the start of the 2024-25 Cricket Shepparton Haisman Shield season.

Luckily he’d packed his old tricks in those very same bags.

The Bloods’ strike bowler took all five of Karramomus’ wickets in a loss to Katandra, but without the points to show for it, Keady is placing team success ahead of individual accolades.

“I think it was a good start for the boys. There's a lot to work on obviously, but it was pretty good on a personal note to get the five-for,” he said.

“Hopefully, the wins start to come because I think the boys have put in a decent amount of work and there's a really nice buzz around the club.

“We’re just looking for the wins really now.”

Winning takes time, even more so in the realm of cricket.

In a sport built on resilience and rhythm, Keady is bringing both back to the Bloods and it’s those two traits that have been instilled in him by his dad.

After all, if anyone knows a thing or two about waiting, it’s Chris Keady.

The powerful all-rounder was the linchpin for Karramomus as it snapped a 12-year premiership drought in the 1996-97 season, earning the first of his six Lightfoot medals in the same campaign.

His sixth medal didn’t arrive until 2012.

Keady’s advice to his son could be boiled down to one word — patience.

“He told me it’s all about waiting for the batsman to make the mistake, rather than you making it,” Keady said.

“He’s a great leader, a great person; a lot of people say he’s one of the nicest blokes to get around Cricket Shepp.

“So, just taking that out of his book is a tick for me.”

Keady was raised at Vibert Reserve, spending weekend upon weekend watching the likes of his dad and Paul Trevaskis cut teams to ribbons in the 2000s.

When it came time to carve his own lane, Keady carried the family banner forward with two premierships for Karramomus in Cricket Shepparton’s junior ranks.

Keady regards those halcyon days as his favourite moments on a cricket oval, up alongside debuting with a certain someone.

“Making my A-grade debut with my dad was quite special,” he said,

“I loved playing cricket with him — having him there was really good.

“Those junior days were great, making mates, having fun and it’s awesome that a lot of those boys have stuck around to continue playing.

“All the people here are amazing. There’s no place I'd rather be on a Saturday.”

Vibert Reserve has become Keady’s second home, but it’s not to say everything has been smooth sailing from start to finish.

“The last two years have been tough,” he said.

“We’ve been really competitive, but have struggled to close games out and build a winning culture.

“But it’s never too tough because the mateship makes it worthwhile. Even if we’re down after a game, we all talk about it and, at the end of the day, it’s just cricket.

“We can still enjoy each other’s company after a tough day.”

Result aside, it’s safe to say Keady’s start to life back down under has been electric.

One game, five poles — this isn’t just a homecoming; it’s a mission.

He delivers every ball with intent, as if each wicket is a chord in a grand redemption anthem for Karramomus, a team deep in rebuild mode.

Now, it’s time to make sweet music.

“Over the last two years, we’ve been very competitive in games, but haven’t been able to close them out — that showed last weekend too,” he said.

“For a good chunk of the game, we were three for 80 and looking strong, but we had a bit of a collapse.

“As long as the boys can improve and enjoy their cricket, I think we’ll take anything, to be honest.

“Personally, I just want to enjoy my cricket and do my part for the team.

“A few wickets would be nice, but a couple of runs would help as well. We’ll see what the rest of the season holds, for sure.”