In cricket, a five-wicket haul (also known as a "five-for" or "fifer")[1][2] refers to a bowler taking five or more wickets in a single innings. This is regarded as a notable achievement,[3] and fewer than 40 bowlers have taken more than 15 five-wicket hauls at international level during their cricketing careers. Brett Lee has the fifth-highest number of international five-wicket hauls among Australian cricketers as of 2013.[4][N 1] A right-arm fast bowler, he is regarded as one of the fastest international bowlers in the modern cricketing era.[5][6]
Lee picked up a five-wicket haul on Test debut,[7] playing against India in December 1999;[8] a match that Australia won.[9] His career-best figures for an innings were 5 wickets for 30 runs against West Indies at the Brisbane Cricket Ground in November 2005; while never managing to take ten wickets in a single match.[9] Eight of his ten Test five-wicket hauls were taken at home.[10] After capturing 310 wickets, Lee retired from Test cricket in 2010 and remains Australia's fourth-most successful bowler in the format.[8]
After making his One Day International (ODI) debut against Pakistan in January 2000,[8] Lee's first ODI five-wicket haul came in one of the matches of the series against India; the performance ensured Australia's victory.[9] With nine five-wicket hauls, his position is third in the all-time ODI list.[11] His career-best bowling in ODI cricket was 5 wickets for 22 runs against South Africa at Melbourne Cricket Ground in January 2006; his performance earned him the man of the match award.[9][12] Lee claimed 19 five-wicket hauls in his International career, and Australia never lost any of the games on such instances. However, he never took more than five wickets in a single innings in any format of the international game.[9] Lee played his first Twenty20 International (T20I) against New Zealand in 2005, and is Australia's fourth-highest wicket-taker in the format.[13] He never took a five-wicket haul in T20I, where his best bowling figures remain 3 wickets for 23 runs.[14] Lee announced his retirement from international cricket in July 2012.[15]
Key
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Date | Day the Test started or ODI held |
| Inn | Innings in which five-wicket haul was taken |
| Overs | Number of overs bowled |
| Runs | Number of runs conceded |
| Wkts | Number of wickets taken |
| Econ | Runs conceded per over |
| Batsmen | Batsmen whose wickets were taken |
| Result | Result for the Australia team |
| ‡ | Lee was selected as man of the match |
Tests
| No. | Date | Ground | Against | Inn | Overs | Runs | Wkts | Econ | Batsmen | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 December 1999 | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne |  India | 2 | 18 | 47 | 5 | 2.61 | Won[16] | |
| 2 | 31 March 2000 | Westpac Trust Park, Hamilton |  New Zealand | 1 | 23 | 77 | 5 | 3.34 | Won[17] | |
| 3 | 1 December 2000 | WACA Ground, Perth |  West Indies | 3 | 15 | 61 | 5 | 4.06 | Won[18] | |
| 4 | 8 November 2001 ‡ | Brisbane Cricket Ground, Brisbane | New Zealand | 2 | 23 | 61 | 5 | 2.91 | Won[19] | |
| 5 | 3 November 2005 | Brisbane Cricket Ground, Brisbane | West Indies | 4 | 14 | 30 | 5 | 2.14 | Won[20] | |
| 6 | 16 December 2005 | WACA Ground, Perth |  South Africa | 2 | 22.2 | 93 | 5 | 4.16 | Drawn[21] | |
| 7 | 24 March 2006 | Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban | South Africa | 2 | 19.4 | 69 | 5 | 3.50 | Won[22] | |
| 8 | 2 January 2008 | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney | India | 2 | 32.2 | 119 | 5 | 3.68 | Won[23] | |
| 9 | 30 May 2008 | Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua | West Indies | 2 | 21 | 59 | 5 | 2.80 | Drawn[24] | |
| 10 | 28 November 2008 | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide | New Zealand | 3 | 25 | 105 | 5 | 4.20 | Won[25] |
ODIs
| No. | Date | Ground | Against | Inn | Overs | Runs | Wkts | Econ | Batsmen | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 January 2000 | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne | India | 2 | 8.5 | 27 | 5 | 3.05 | Won[26] | |
| 2 | 25 January 2003 ‡ | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne |  England | 2 | 9.3 | 30 | 5 | 3.15 | Won[27] | |
| 3 | 11 March 2003 | St George's Oval, Port Elizabeth | New Zealand | 2 | 9.1 | 42 | 5 | 4.58 | Won[28] | |
| 4 | 10 July 2005 ‡ | Lord's Cricket Ground, London | England | 1 | 10 | 41 | 5 | 4.10 | Won[29] | |
| 5 | 20 January 2006 ‡ | Docklands Stadium, Melbourne | South Africa | 2 | 10 | 22 | 5 | 2.20 | Won[12] | |
| 6 | 22 September 2006 ‡ | Kinrara Academy Oval, Kuala Lumpur | India | 2 | 8.5 | 38 | 5 | 4.30 | Won[30] | |
| 7 | 3 February 2008 | Brisbane Cricket Ground, Brisbane | India | 1 | 9 | 27 | 5 | 3.00 | N/R[31][N 2] | |
| 8 | 24 February 2008 | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney | India | 2 | 9.1 | 58 | 5 | 6.32 | Won[32] | |
| 9 | 12 September 2009 ‡ | Lord's Cricket Ground, London | England | 1 | 9 | 49 | 5 | 5.44 | Won[33] |