Hat-tricks In The Ashes

A total of 41 hat-tricks have been taken in Test cricket so far, with eight of them being recorded in the Ashes. 4 hat-tricks each have been recorded by Australian and English bowlers in the 133-year old history of the series. Here is the list:

1.  Billy Bates (England), Melbourne, 1882-83

Also known as “The Duke”, Billy Bates had played all his 15 matches on grounds away from home soil, and in the 2nd Test of 1882-83 Ashes in Melbourne, he finished with a match haul of 14 for 102, including a hat-trick in the first innings. He dismissed Percy McDonnell, George Giffen and George Bonnor, to become the first Englishman to take a hat-trick in international cricket. He also scored a half century in that match to ensure a victory over Australia by an innings and 27 runs, thereby also becoming the first player to score a 50 and take ten or more wickets in a match.

2. Johnny Briggs (England), Sydney, 1891-92

Johnny Briggs was the first bowler to take 100 wickets in Tests. In the 2nd Test of the 1891-92 Ashes, he dismissed Walter Giffen, Jack Blackham and Sydney Callaway to claim a hat-trick, which, however, could not ensure a victory as England lost by 72 runs.

3. Jack Hearne (England), Leeds, 1899

Also known as Old Jack, Jack Hearne became the third Englishman to take a hat-trick in Tests in the third Test of the 1899 Ashes. The right-hand medium bowler got the wickets of Clem Hill, Syd Gregory and Monty Noble to record the fifth hat-trick in Test cricket.

4. Hugh Trumble (Australia), Melbourne, 1901-02

The tall and thin right-arm spinner is considered to be one of the greats of his time. He dismissed John Gunn, Arthur Jones and Sydney Barnes to claim a hat-trick in the second Test of the 1901-02 Ashes series.

5. Hugh Trumble, Melbourne, 1903-04

Trumble is one of the only four cricketers to take two hat-tricks in Tests; his second hat-trick also came at Melbourne two years later, when he scalped Bernard Bosanquet, Pelham Warner and Dick Lilley to finish the innings with figures of 7 for 28.

6. Shane Warne (Australia), Melbourne, 1994-95

Nearly nine decades after Hugh Trumble’s achievement came the sixth Ashes hat-trick, and it was the time for Warne to spin some magic. In the first innings of the second Test of the 1994-95 Ashes, Warne had picked up 6 wickets, then followed it up with a hat-trick in the second – Phil DeFreitas, Darren Gough and Devon Malcolm were the victims. Australia won the match by 295 runs.

7. Darren Gough (England), Sydney, 1998-99

The right-arm fast bowler who played for Yorkshire for much of his career got a Test hat-trick for England in the 5th match of the 1998-99 Ashes, when  he dismissed Ian Healy, Stuart MacGill and Colin Miller in the first innings. However, his team ended being on the losing side as Australia won by 98 runs.

8. Peter Siddle (Australia), Brisbane, 2010-11

The sturdily built Siddle gifted himself the perfect surprise on his 26th birthday, when he got the scalps of Alastair Cook, Matt Prior and Stuart Broad to help restrict England for 260 in the first innings of the first Test of the series. He is the only player to claim a Test hat-trick on his birthday.

Note: Frederick Spofforth of Australia took a hat-trick against England in 1879, however, the England-Australia series was not known as “the Ashes” until 1882-83.

Edited By : Akanksha Agarwal