Hat-trick

A hat-trick in sports is associated with succeeding at anything three times in three consecutive attempts. In North America it is often rendered as hat trick, with no hyphen. (The Oxford English Dictionary has it unhyphenated and gives a variety of examples published in the 19th and 20th centuries both with and without the hyphen.)

Cricket

A hat-trick occurs in cricket when a bowler dismisses three batsmen with consecutive deliveries. The deliveries may be interrupted by an over bowled by another bowler from the other end of the pitch or the other team's innings, but must be three consecutive deliveries by the individual bowler. Only wickets attributed to the bowler count; i.e., run outs do not contribute to a hat-trick.

Related Topics:
Batsmen - Over - Pitch - Innings

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Hat tricks are very rare and as such are highly treasured by bowlers. The term was first used to describe H.H. Stephenson's feat in 1858{{fn|1}} and was used in print for the first time in 1878{{fn|2}}. In Test cricket history there have been just 35 hat-tricks, the first achieved by Fred Spofforth for Australia against England in 1879, and the most recent by James Franklin for New Zealand against Bangladesh in 2004. In 1912, Australian Jimmy Matthews achieved the feat twice in one game against South Africa. The only other players to achieve two hat-tricks are Australia's Hugh Trumble, against England in 1902 and 1904, and Pakistan's Wasim Akram, in separate games against Sri Lanka in 1999. Nuwan Zoysa achieved a hat-trick with his first three deliveries in a Test Match against Zimbabwe in the 1999-2000 season.

Related Topics:
Test cricket - 35 hat-tricks - Fred Spofforth - Australia - England - 1879 - James Franklin - New Zealand - Bangladesh - 2004 - 1912 - Jimmy Matthews - South Africa - Hugh Trumble - 1902 - 1904 - Pakistan - Wasim Akram - Sri Lanka - 1999 - Nuwan Zoysa - Zimbabwe

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In One-day International cricket there have been 20 hat-tricks, the first by Jalal-ud-Din for Pakistan against Australia in 1982, and the latest by Charl Langeveldt for South Africa against the West Indies in 2005. Chaminda Vaas has taken two one-day international hat-tricks (against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh).

Related Topics:
One-day International - 20 hat-tricks - Jalal-ud-Din - 1982 - Charl Langeveldt - 2005 - Chaminda Vaas

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Taking two wickets in two consecutive deliveries is occasionally known as a brace.

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Four wickets in four balls is sometimes called a double hat-trick - as it will contain two different sets of three consecutively dismissed batsmen.

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