Famous Cricket Hat-Tricks: Three Wickets in Three Balls
The rarest bowling feat in cricket — taking three consecutive wickets — and the famous hat-tricks that have shaped match histories across Test, ODI, and T20 cricket.
A hat-trick in cricket — three wickets in consecutive deliveries — is among sport's rarest standard achievements. In over 2,500 Tests, approximately 45 hat-tricks have been taken. In the entire history of ODI cricket (over 4,000 matches), around 50 hat-tricks are on record. The statistical rarity makes each one notable; the match context occasionally makes them iconic.
The First Test Hat-Trick: Spofforth, 1879
The first recorded hat-trick in a Test match was taken by Frederick Spofforth of Australia against England in Melbourne in 1878–79. Spofforth — 'The Demon' — was already the most feared bowler in the world. His hat-trick came in a match that Australia won by ten wickets, and it cemented his reputation as cricket's first genuine fast bowling genius. The term 'hat-trick' itself is older — it comes from Victorian cricket usage where a bowler who took three wickets with consecutive balls was awarded a new hat by the club as a prize.
Wasim Akram's Two World Cup Hat-Tricks
Wasim Akram is the only bowler to have taken two hat-tricks in World Cup cricket — in 1999 against Australia and in 2003 against the Netherlands. The 1999 hat-trick is more famous: in the Super Sixes match at Headingley, Akram dismissed Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh, and Michael Bevan in consecutive deliveries, effectively ending Australia's innings. These hat-tricks illustrated Akram's unusual ability to produce exceptional bowling precisely when matches demanded it.
Lasith Malinga: Four in Four
In 2007, Lasith Malinga became the only bowler to take four wickets in four consecutive deliveries in international cricket — versus South Africa at the World Cup in St. George's Park. After taking three wickets (a hat-trick), his next delivery — the first of the next over — also took a wicket. This is sometimes called the 'double hat-trick' though technically the four deliveries spanned two overs. Malinga subsequently took another international hat-trick against Sri Lanka's 2011 World Cup opponents, giving him multiple hat-tricks across international formats.
Hat-Tricks in the Ashes
Ashes hat-tricks are particularly celebrated given the series' prestige. Jimmy Matthews of Australia took two hat-tricks in the same Ashes Test in 1912 — at Old Trafford — a feat never since replicated in any Test match. Ryan Harris (Australia) took an Ashes hat-trick in 2013; his was notable for including the wickets of Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott in a five-Test series where Australia were dominant throughout.
Frequently asked questions
What is a hat-trick in cricket?
A hat-trick in cricket occurs when a bowler takes three wickets with three consecutive deliveries — the balls do not need to be in the same over (the last ball of one over and first two of the next qualifies). It is one of the rarest bowling feats in the sport. The term originated in Victorian cricket, where a bowler taking three consecutive wickets was given a new hat by the host club.
Who has taken the most hat-tricks in international cricket?
Wasim Akram of Pakistan has taken three hat-tricks in international cricket — two in ODI World Cups (1999 vs Australia, 2003 vs Netherlands) and one in Tests. Lasith Malinga has also taken multiple international hat-tricks. Among all levels of cricket (including domestic), hat-tricks are more common, though still celebrated achievements.
Has anyone taken a hat-trick in the T20 World Cup final?
No bowler has taken a hat-trick in a T20 World Cup final as of 2024. Carlos Brathwaite's four consecutive sixes off Ben Stokes in the 2016 final is the most famous last-over event in any World Cup final, but no hat-trick has occurred at that stage. T20 World Cup hat-tricks have occurred in group stages and knockouts but not the final itself.