Cricket Hat-Trick Records: The Greatest Triple-Wicket Feats
From Test cricket to T20 World Cups, explore every notable hat-trick in cricket history — the bowlers, the matches, and what makes the achievement so rare and special.
What Counts as a Hat-Trick
A hat-trick requires three dismissals off three consecutive deliveries by the same bowler. Overs, innings, and even match boundaries do not break the sequence — a hat-trick can span two overs, carry across an innings break, or bridge two separate days of play.
First Hat-Trick in Test Cricket
Frederick Spofforth of Australia took the first hat-trick in Test cricket in 1879 at Melbourne, dismissing V.P.F.A. Royle, F. MacKinnon, and T. Emmett. Spofforth — 'The Demon Bowler' — is also credited with inspiring the Ashes rivalry. The feat earned him permanent recognition in cricket folklore.
Most Memorable Modern Hat-Tricks
Wasim Akram took two World Cup hat-tricks (1999), still the only player to achieve the feat in ODI World Cup history. Lasith Malinga took four consecutive wickets in the 2007 World Cup — four balls, four wickets — giving him two hat-tricks in one spell. In Tests, Peter Siddle's birthday hat-trick at The Gabba in 2010 opened the Ashes.
Hat-Tricks in T20 Internationals
The T20 format has produced a wave of hat-tricks as bowlers exploit pressure situations. Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga holds the record for most T20I hat-tricks. Hat-tricks at death overs — when batters take risks — are increasingly common as the format produces more extreme hitting.
Frequently asked questions
Has anyone taken more than one hat-trick in the same Test match?
No bowler has taken two hat-tricks in the same Test match. However, Wasim Akram took hat-tricks in consecutive ODIs (1999 World Cup vs Australia and New Zealand), the only player to achieve consecutive World Cup hat-tricks.
Do hat-tricks earn a bonus or prize?
There is no official ICC prize for a hat-trick, but the bowling ball is traditionally kept by the bowler as a memento. In franchise cricket (IPL, BBL), bonus payments are sometimes included in player contracts for hat-tricks.