User:Adehcfc/sandbox

Definition of a 'Hat Trick' - Cricket Reference

The true term of a Hat Trick in cricket is when a bowler sucessfully takes 3 wickets in consecutive balls/deliveries.

This can happen in the same over, consecutive overs or even in consecutive games or years. As long as the next two deliveries following an initial wicket are taken by the same bowler the possibilities are endless - this is still recognised as a Hat Trick.

The first ever cricketing Hat Trick was recorded in 1851 when an annual game took place between Croydon Gentlemen 2nd XI & the Hammersmith Regulars - the game itself an annual friendly between good friends of each club who were colleagues of the docking industry in the heart of London.

After Croydon had set 232 to win, Hammersmith took guard at the crease & began to bat.

After a few wickets fell, into the attack came a new fresh faced bowler. He took a wicket with only his second delivery (clean bowled)- his next delivery, a simple catch to a fielder at cover point & then miraculously (at the time) a third wicket fell, another clean bowled delivery to achieve a Hat Trick - this fete had never been seen before & as a reward the bowler recieved a roasted pig for his efforts after the game.

The name 'Hat Trick' came to pass after the scorer read out the score card & bowling figures for each team in the clubhouse after the game had ended - in which Croydon had won by 87 runs.

The scorer a Mr. Richard Little proclaimed at first the landlady of the establishment 'good golly Miss Molly, would you look at that - a HAT TRICK.'

This was beacuse the gentleman who took the hat trick in the game was a Mr Henry Arthur Thomas Trick, thus upon reading his figures in the scorebook it simply read...