Melbourne Stars pacer Haris Rauf took a hat-trick in his team’s Big Bash League (BBL) 2019-20 match against Sydney Thunders at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday.
The Pakistani cricketer dismissed Matthew Gilkes (41), Callum Ferguson (35) and Daniel Sams (0) for his figures of 3/23. Rauf, who was the man of the match, is the second-highest wicket-taker of the ongoing BBL with 13 wickets from four matches.
Bowling first, Melbourne bundled Sydney for a low total of 145 riding on Rauf’s brilliance with the ball. Adam Zampa and Nathan Coulter-Nile chipped in with a wicket each. Gilkes was the highest scorer for Thunder with his 35-ball innings.
Chasing, Marcus Stoinis was again at his best as he scored another half-century in 44 balls. Skipper Glenn Maxwell produced some firepower at the middle as he played an unbeaten knock of 59 in 37 balls to take his team over the line and consolidate their stay at the top.
Incidentally, Rauf’s hat-trick was the second of the day after Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan achieved the feat in the match between Adelaide Strikers and Sydney Sixers.
The 21-year-old bowler first claimed the wicket of James Vince and followed it up by wickets of Jack Edwards and Jordan Silk in successive deliveries to achieve a record hat-trick.
In his T20 career, Rashid has already picked 284 wickets in 200 outings. As far as the T20Is are concerned, he has an additional 84 wickets to his credit from 45 matches.