Paul O’Reilly’s two ten-wicket performances
Paul O’Reilly’s 10/43 for Langleybury in 1998 and 10/38 for Hertfordshire exactly a year later, kept distinct with dated evidence.
Paul O’Reilly’s place in Langleybury’s record includes a rare complete innings of wickets: 10/43 against Knebworth Park on 25 July 1998. Exactly one year later he took all ten again, this time for Hertfordshire against Staffordshire, with 10/38. They are separate performances for different teams. The Independent’s contemporary profile; Langleybury bowling records.
The Langleybury match, 1998
The club’s first-XI record sheet supplies the 10/43 figures against Knebworth Park. The contemporary newspaper account and the 1998 league fixture archive support 25 July 1998 as the date. That combination is stronger than relying on a record table without a day or a later recollection without the bowling figures. Published club records; 1998 fixture archive.
The performance falls in Langleybury’s 1998 championship season. The recovered material establishes that connection, but does not supply the full match scorecard or a ball-by-ball account. It should not be embellished with an invented order of wickets, weather description or winning margin.
The Hertfordshire match, 1999
The Independent profile, dated 31 July 1999, describes O’Reilly taking 10/38 against Staffordshire on 25 July, exactly a year after the Langleybury feat. The 1999 figures belong to Hertfordshire’s county cricket and must not replace 10/43 in the club records. Stephen Brenkley’s profile.
| Date | Team | Opponents | Bowling figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 July 1998 | Langleybury | Knebworth Park | 10/43 |
| 25 July 1999 | Hertfordshire | Staffordshire | 10/38 |
A sporting background
The same contemporary profile describes O’Reilly as an away-swing bowler and records earlier non-league goalkeeping with Hayes and Aylesbury. Its use of the nickname “Mad Dog” belongs to that published portrait, rather than a description invented for this archive.
The present official club About page, checked in November 2026, lists Paul O’Reilly among Langleybury’s vice-presidents. That is a dated current-site observation, separate from his playing role in the 1990s. Official club About page.
For other exceptional bowling figures, including the club’s entries for Brian Davey and B. Hall, see the published records.
Sources and further reading
- The Independent: Cricket: Perfect 10 again for the Mad Dog of Hertfordshire — checked 2026-11-02
- Club record sheet, printed p.13: 1st XI batting aggregates and bowling records, 1961–2025 — checked 2026-11-02
- Cricinfo: 1998 Hertfordshire League fixtures — checked 2026-11-02
- Langleybury CC: About — checked 2026-11-02