“Oh, he’s got a hat-trick!” – You must’ve heard something like this while watching a cricket match.
Commentators often don’t get a lot of opportunities to say this line, as a hat-trick is pretty rare in cricket. But there’s something even rarer than this.
What’s that, you ask?
It’s the double hat-trick.
But what’s a double hat-trick in cricket?
Well, here’s an explainer on the double hat-trick term used in cricket.
Before we get into the details, first let’s understand the meaning of a hat-trick.
What is a hat-trick in cricket?
A hat-trick isn’t a complicated term in cricket. When a bowler claims wickets of three batters on three subsequent balls, it’s considered a hat-trick.
The hat-trick can, however, span across two overs or even two innings of a Test match. The only condition is the bowler has to dismiss the batters on back-to-back deliveries in the same match.
So, what are the ways a bowler can dismiss batters to claim a hat-trick?
First things first, the dismissals need to be in a legal way. And the second thing is the bowler must be involved in all three dismissals.
A bowler can claim a hat-trick if they dismiss batters in any one of the following ways:
1. Bowled out
2. Caught out
3. Trapped leg before wicket (LBW)
4. Stumped out
These are the basics you need to know about a hat-trick. Now let’s understand the double hat-trick.
What is a double hat-trick in cricket?
A double hat-trick is an extension of the hat-trick. Now, you might think it involves six wickets in six balls. But that’s not how it works.
A double hat-trick happens when a bowler strikes four wickets in four successive balls. Since a bowler picks one more wicket right after completing the hat-trick, it becomes a double hat-trick.
So, have any bowlers taken double hat-tricks in cricket?
Yes. A few bowlers have taken double hat-tricks in international cricket. Lasith Malinga, Rashid Khan, and Jason Holder are some of the notable achievers of the feat.
Malinga, in fact, bagged two double hat-tricks, one in ODI and the other in T20I. This shows how good he was with the ball. (You can read more about the double hat-trick takers in this article.)
Read Next | What is a Duck in Cricket? And its Different Types
