Sydney: Australian left-arm speedster Mitchell Starc became the first cricketer to take two hat-tricks in a single match after he registered the feat in a first class game in Australia, ahead of the Ashes.
Starc thus became the eighth player in the history of first class cricket and the first one in 39 years to achieve this phenomenal feat. The deadly paceman, thus led New South Wales to a win over Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield.
The 27-year-old dismissed Jason Behrendorff, David Moody and Simon Mackin in Western Australia’s first innings to register the first hat-trick of his career so far. He then went on to claim one more after he sent back both Behrendorff and Moody in the last two balls of the 15th over.
He then removed Jono Wells in the first ball of the next over he bowled after Australian skipper Steve Smith completed a wonderful catch at first slip to win the match for New South Wales. Starc ended with match figures of 7/97 in his team’s 171-run win.
Against South Australia, he also registered his career best figures of 8/73 against South Australia at the Adelaide Oval and these performances only indicate that the left-armer is in really good form ahead of the Ashes and England might just have to have some plans as to how to tackle him.
Aussie leg-spinner Jimmy Matthews is the only player to take two hat-tricks in a single game after he did the same in a Test match against South Africa in Manchester in the year 1912.