Eight double hat-tricks in 120 years (16 May 1999)

16 May 1999

Eight double hat-tricks in 120 years

S. Sheriff

According to the records in Wisden 1998 only 7 bowlers have performed the hat-trick twice in the same match before 1978/79. 20 years later in March 1999 Wasim Akram achieved this feat in a Test match against Sri Lanka at Dhaka and Lahore.

A. Shaw - 1884
A. E. Trott - 1907
T. J. Matthews - 1912
C. W. L. Parker 1924
R. O. Jenkins - 1949
J. S. Rao - 1963-64
Amin Lakhani - 1978-79

It is of special interest to remember that Albert Edwin Trott and J. S. Rao are the only two bowlers who have achieved the fantastic feat of taking two hat-tricks in an innings. These are achievements unparalleled to this day.

In 1907, A. E. Trott played for Middlesex in a match against Somerset at Lord's. Trott bowling his sharp off breaks with clever change of pace took the wickets of Lewis, Poyntz, S. Woods and Robson with successive balls; four wickets in 4 balls. A hat-trick plus one.

But, Trott did not stop at that. He struck again. He took the wickets of Mordaunt, Rev. Wickham and Bailey in 3 successive balls. Hence, Trott finished with two hat-tricks in the same innings. A superb performance. He ended his bowling with an analysis of 8-3-20-7. Trott was 40 years-old at that time.

In November 1963, services bowler J. S. Rao made a fine debut in Ranjit Trophy cricket when he performed the hat-trick against Jammu and Kashmir in Delhi. But in the succeeding match against Northern Punjab at Amritsar, Rao's great double was achieved in the second innings. Rao created a record by securing a double hat-trick in one inning. He came very close to performing a "Trott" because he took a hat-trick plus one wicket in 5 balls.

The unique distinction of performing the hat-trick THREE TIMES in succession in one season, is an achievement unparalleled in the annals of cricket. Despite this remarkable feat, Rao never represented his country - India, in Test cricket.

The only instance in Test cricket before Wasim Akram's feat of a double hat-trick was in 1912 by an Australian T. J. Matthews who took two hat-tricks in a Test match against South Africa in the Triangular Contest with England, Matthews bowling his slow leg-breaks took the last three wickets (R. Beaument, S. J. Peglar and T. A. Ward) in the first innings with three successive balls to perform a hat-trick.

When South Africa followed on the same day, Matthews repeated his performance by capturing the wickets of the famous H. W. Taylor, R. O. Shwarz and T. A. Ward - all in one day.

His figures in the two innings were: 12-3-16-3 wickets and 8.1-3-8-3 wickets. What was astonishing - Matthews did not claim any wickets other than the three in each innings. He was 28 at that time.

Alfred Shaw: Was 42 when he performed the double hat-trick in a match between Nottinghamshire and Gloucestershire in 1884. He was a medium pace bowler.

Charles Parker: Was a left-arm bowler. Among his extraordinary feats for Gloucestershire was the double hat-trick against Middlesex in 1924 at the age 42.

Roland Jenkins: Performed two hat-tricks against Surrey in 1949. He was a 32-year-old leg-break and googly bowler and played for England in 9 Tests.

Amin Lakhani: A twenty-year-old Karachi University left-arm spinner played for Young Pakistanis XI against the Indians at Multan in October 1978. He performed a hat-trick in the first innings by claiming the wickets of K. Ghauri, S. Venkatraghavan and B. Reddy and followed it up in the second innings by dismissing M. Amarnath, S. Kirmani and Kapil Dev in 3 successive balls.

In spite of his remarkable performance of taking a double hat-trick, he never represented his country - Pakistan in Test cricket.

Source :: The Daily News (http://www.lanka.net/lakehouse/)

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