New Delhi:
In cricket, there have been instances when bowlers have taken hat-tricks by effecting only one mode of dismissal. Chetan Sharma, the Indian pacer, took a hat-trick during the 1987 World Cup clash against New Zealand in Nagpur by dismissing all three batsmen bowled. Now, an Australian legspinner has created a rare hat-trick in first-class cricket by effecting a difficult mode of dismissal which is LBW. During the Sheffield Shield game between Victoria and Queensland at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Mitchell Swepson, who played one Twenty20 International for Australia during the 2018 tour of England achieved this rare feat. Victoria chose to bowl and they bundled Queensland out for 183 with James Pattinson taking two wickets while Peter Siddle and Jon Holland took three wickets apiece.
For Queensland, Charlie Hemphrey was the top scorer with 64. In response, Victoria skipper Peter Handscomb smashed 92 and was well supported by Jake Fraser's 51 as Victoria looked like taking a big lead. Swepson, who had caught and bowled Sam Harper for 17, then ran through the lower order. In overcast skies, Swepson relied on pace variations to flummox the lower order. With his final ball of the 24th over, Swepson trapped Will Sutherland LBW for 20.
In his very next over, he trapped James Pattinson with a legbreak as the left-hander was playing back on the crease while Swepson completed the hat-trick by trapping Siddle in front. Victoria ended on 300/9 and Swepson finished with 4/75 from his 25.5 overs. Queensland are currently lying fourth in the points table with just one win from three games while Victoria are below them in fifth spot.
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New South Wales lead the points table in the Sheffield Shield with three out of three wins and for New South Wales, Steve Smith underlined his brilliance with a fantastic century as he geared up for the two Tests against Pakistan in grand style.
