Double hat-trick: Only bowlers to take two hat-tricks in one innings
For any bowler to take a hat-trick in a match is like a dream come true. However, very few bowlers achieve it in their international or first-class career. And among this, one of the rarest occurrences is when a bowler takes two hat-tricks in one innings. In the history of first-class cricket, only two bowlers have been able to achieve this milestone. In this article, we will be discussing the performances of those players.
AE Trott – 7/20 vs Somerset, 1907
Albert Edwin Trott was a cricketer who played for both England and Australia. He claimed two hat-tricks in a first-class match while playing for Middlesex against Somerset in the County Championship, 1907. Middlesex won the toss in this match and scored 286 runs in the first innings. In response to this total, Somerset got dismissed for 236 runs and conceded a lead of 50 runs.
Later in the second innings, Middlesex scored 213 runs and set a target of 264 runs in the fourth innings. However, Somerset could not pose a challenge as they got all-out for just 97 runs thus losing the match by 166 runs. Trott first picked four wickets in four balls and then took a hat-trick thus recording two hat-tricks in an innings.
Albert Trott & Johinder Singh Rao. Two hat-tricks in a single FC inning!#Wrong1 #TestCricket #Cricket #AlbertTrott #JoginderSinghRao #HattrickWickets #DidYouKnow pic.twitter.com/rrMdlB2NST
— Wrong1 Cricket (@wrong1cricket) May 17, 2020
JS Rao – 7/30 vs Northern Punjab, 1963
Former Indian cricketer Joginder Singh Rao returned with magical figures in the Ranji Trophy Clash against Northern Punjab while playing for Services. In this three-day game played in 1963, Northern Punjab got all-out for 108 runs in the first innings. For Services, R Surendranath and HT Dani picked up 4 and 3 wickets respectively.
In response, the Services team scored 308 runs with the help of half-centuries from HT Dani and AK Sengupta. Thus the team got a big lead of 200 runs in the first innings. Later in the second innings, JS Rao displayed his magic as he picked up 7 wickets for 30 runs in his 12 overs. This included two hat-tricks. Northern Punjab got dismissed for 132 runs in the second innings and lost the match by an innings and 68 runs.
