His nickname is "Picnic" so it was probably just a matter of time before Rodney Trott made a meal out of some opposition's batting.

Unfortunately for St. David's, they happened to be "on the plate" as the Bailey's Bay bowler feasted on six wickets for 48 runs in 12.2 overs last Saturday, including a rare hat-trick from the first three balls of his tenth over.

Lionel Cann was the first of Trott's three-straight wickets, being caught at long-on by Glenn Blakeney. Then the right-arm off-spinner breached Herbie Bascome's defence to rattle the dreadlocked player's stumps before having Arthur Pitcher Jr caught at slip.

This feat in the final of the Eastern Counties championship put teenager Trott in exceptional company as only three others are believed to have accomplished such in the same competition, one being Glen Smith in 1954.

More significantly, from a match perspective, it sent the challengers crashing from 133 for three to 199 all out in quick time.

"I realised I was on a hat-trick but I was really just trying to contain the batsmen and slow the runs down. So I was just thinking if the hat-trick happens, it happens and it did," recalled an emotional Trott after a thrilling final at Lord's which saw the champions Bay retain the title on the basis of a tie.

Reflecting on the delivery that sealed his place in Eastern Counties folklore, the all-rounder said he just tried to maintain composure and not get carried away by the importance of that one ball to Pitcher.

"I was telling myself to bowl a good line because he's a colt and a lot of pressure is on him. I wanted to bowl a good line and let him make the mistake."

That's just what Pitcher did, edging the ball to slip where, ironically, the vital catch was taken by Trott's cousin and fellow bowler, Clarkie Trott.

"I was just so excited," said the beaming junior cricketer who turns 16 on Monday.

"I've been working hard and I still need to work at it but I want to thank my team for supporting me and encouraging me."

He also highlighted the role of a recent West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Under-15 Development Camp in his success. The two-week programme in Trinidad encompassed several components including physical training, group coaching, video analysis, game sense training and team-building exercises.

"Ever since I went to Trinidad it helped me because the training there was at a higher level and it helped me to concentrate more and fix the things that I wasn't doing right. It helped me put it all together.

"My run-up was coming from an angle and I needed to be straighter because sometimes when I was bowling I was off-balance and the ball was going down legside," explained Trott.

The young hero came in for high praise from several quarters. His captain - and another cousin as well - Dennis Pilgrim hailed his stunning returns as just desserts for the extra effort Trott has invested.

"I try to tell him all the time at practice that if he puts the work in it will come out in the games and it came out today. I just hope he goes on from here.

"He came back from Trinidad with a lot of knowledge. He changed his rhythm and he has developed an arm ball and he is bowling really well right now.

"I was very excited for him. It was so emotional. He was crying and I wanted to cry too. He was so overjoyed."

Veteran Charlie Marshall - who was in contention for the Man-of-the-Match award won by Trott - lauded his team-mate's achievement, saying Trott was the right choice despite his own heroics with the bat, scoring 56 not out off 63 balls.

"I am happy they gave Man-of-the-Match to 'Picnic'. This young boy bowled so well today (Saturday) and my runs could never - even though I did well - match what he did. He deserves it."

National coach Mark Harper, too, was impressed by Trott, particularly as the latter was "under pressure" with St. David's seeking quick runs in post-lunch play.

"He responded well to the occasion and I trust this will inspire him to go on and work harder at developing his craft.

"He has obviously benefited from going to Trinidad and he seems better able to manage pressure. It was a great performance in a big game."

Despite all the accolades, Trott recognises he still has a long way to go. Now, he will be trying to balance his output with better batting as that feature of his game has waned a bit.

"My batting was better than my bowling but I started to work so hard on my bowling that now my batting is going. It takes time but once I get it all together everything is going to be all right," he said optimistically.