A hat-trick in cricket is one of the rarest and most thrilling achievements for a bowler: taking three wickets with three consecutive deliveries. It is a moment of pure pressure, because the bowler knows the whole ground is watching the third ball. This guide explains the exact rules, how a hat-trick can span overs and even innings, and some of the most famous hat-tricks in the sport’s history.
What Counts as a Hat-Trick
A hat-trick is when a single bowler dismisses three batters with three deliveries in a row. The wickets do not all have to be the same type — a bowled, a caught and an LBW across three balls still counts. What matters is that the same bowler takes all three, and that the deliveries are consecutive for that bowler.
Any standard dismissal off the bowler counts: bowled, caught, LBW, stumped or hit wicket. A run out does not count toward a hat-trick, because it is not credited to the bowler. So if the middle wicket is a run out, the sequence is broken.
It is also worth noting that the three wickets almost always fall to three different batters, because a dismissed batter is replaced by the next in the order. A bowler on a hat-trick therefore faces a fresh, often nervous, new batter on the third ball. Captains usually crowd the bat with close fielders such as short leg and slip to pile on the pressure and tempt a defensive prod or an edge.
Where the Word “Hat-Trick” Comes From
The term began in English cricket in the 1850s. A bowler who took three wickets in three balls was reportedly rewarded with a new hat, paid for by a collection or the club. The phrase stuck and later spread to other sports such as football and hockey, where it now means three goals by one player. In cricket, though, the original three-in-three meaning remains.
How a Hat-Trick Can Span Overs and Innings
The three deliveries must be consecutive for the bowler, but they do not have to be in the same over. If a bowler takes a wicket with the last ball of one over and another with the first ball of their next over, those two count as consecutive even though another bowler bowled in between from the other end.
A hat-trick can even cross innings or matches in some cases. If a bowler dismisses a batter with the final ball of one innings and then takes two more with the first two legal balls of their next innings, it still counts. Only legal deliveries are counted, so a wide or no-ball in between does not break the sequence as long as wickets fall on three successive scoring balls. Understanding which deliveries are legal links back to how cricket scoring works, including no-balls and wides.
Famous Hat-Tricks in International Cricket
Some hat-tricks have become legendary:
- Chetan Sharma (1987 World Cup): The first bowler to take a hat-trick in a Men’s World Cup, dismissing three New Zealand batters in an ODI.
- Lasith Malinga (2007 World Cup): The Sri Lankan paceman took four wickets in four balls against South Africa — a feat even rarer than a hat-trick.
- Harbhajan Singh (2001): The first Indian to take a Test hat-trick, against Australia in the famous Kolkata Test.
- Hat-tricks on debut: A handful of bowlers, such as Damien Fleming and Peter Siddle, have produced memorable Test hat-tricks, with Siddle’s coming on his birthday.
These moments are celebrated because they combine skill, nerve and a little luck. To appreciate the variety of deliveries that produce such wickets, see our guide on the types of bowling in cricket.
Hat-Tricks in the IPL and T20 Cricket
The shorter format has produced plenty of hat-tricks because batters take more risks. Several IPL bowlers have claimed three in three, and some have done so at the death of an innings when batters are swinging hard. In T20 cricket a hat-trick can swing a tight game instantly, much like a dramatic super over in cricket. The pressure on the third ball is enormous, with fielders crowding the bat and the crowd roaring.
Spinners can take hat-tricks too, not just fast bowlers. A leg-spinner might trap one batter LBW, bowl the next with a googly, and have the third caught at slip, all in three balls. In limited-overs cricket, hat-tricks often come when a bowler mixes a slower ball or a yorker into a length the batters are not expecting. Because T20 totals are built on aggression, two quick wickets can tempt a third batter into a rash shot, which is why the format keeps producing these bursts of three-in-three.
Why a Hat-Trick Is So Rare
Taking even one wicket requires a good ball and often a batting mistake. Stringing three together demands that three different batters fail on three straight deliveries, usually against a bowler who must also keep nerve and skill under intense pressure. Across a full international career, most bowlers never take a single hat-trick, which is exactly why it remains one of cricket’s most prized feats.
The scarcity is easy to see in the numbers. In well over a century of Test cricket, only a few dozen hat-tricks have been recorded, and World Cup hat-tricks are rarer still. A bowler who takes one is almost guaranteed to have the ball mounted or kept as a souvenir, and the moment is replayed for years. That blend of difficulty and drama is what makes the hat-trick a milestone every bowler dreams of.
A Worked Example: A Hat-Trick Across Two Overs
Picture a bowler steaming in during the 39th over of an ODI. The sequence shows exactly how the rule works in practice:
- 39.6 (last ball of the over): the number five batter is trapped LBW. That is wicket one.
- Another bowler sends down the entire 40th over from the opposite end. This break does not matter, because the deliveries only need to be consecutive for the bowler on the hat-trick.
- 41.1 (first ball of his next over): the new batter edges to the keeper. Wicket two, on the bowler’s next legal delivery.
- 41.2: the incoming batter is bowled first ball. Three wickets, three consecutive deliveries from the same bowler — a completed hat-trick spanning two of his overs.
Now change one detail. If the bowler had sent down a wide between the second and third wickets, the hat-trick would still stand, because a wide is not a legal delivery and the next legal ball took the wicket. But if a batter had been run out at the non-striker’s end in between, the sequence would break, since a run out is not credited to the bowler.
Hat-Trick Versus Other Bowling Feats
A hat-trick is one of several milestones a bowler can chase. The table below puts it in context.
| Feat | What it means | Rarity |
|---|---|---|
| Maiden over | An over with no runs conceded | Common |
| Five-wicket haul (“five-fer”) | Five wickets in a single innings | Uncommon |
| Hat-trick | Three wickets in three consecutive balls | Rare |
| Four in four | Four wickets in four consecutive balls | Extremely rare |
A five-wicket haul can be built over a long spell, but a hat-trick must happen in three straight balls, which is why a bowler can take many five-fers in a career yet never a single hat-trick.
Common Myths About Hat-Tricks
- “All three must be the same type of dismissal.” False. A bowled, a caught and an LBW across three balls is a perfectly valid hat-trick.
- “They must be in one over.” False. The balls only need to be consecutive for the bowler, so a hat-trick can span two overs or even two innings.
- “A run out can complete it.” False. Only dismissals credited to the bowler count, so a run out breaks the sequence.
- “A wide ruins it.” False. Illegal deliveries such as wides and no-balls do not count as one of the three balls and do not break the sequence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a run out count in a hat-trick?
No. A run out is not credited to the bowler, so it cannot form part of a hat-trick. All three wickets must be bowler dismissals such as bowled, caught, LBW, stumped or hit wicket. If the middle wicket is a run out, the sequence is broken.
Can a hat-trick happen across two overs?
Yes. The three balls must be consecutive for the bowler, not within a single over. A wicket on the last ball of one over and the first two of the bowler’s next over counts, even though another bowler bowled from the opposite end in between.
What is better than a hat-trick?
Taking four wickets in four consecutive balls is rarer and is sometimes called a double hat-trick or four-in-four. Lasith Malinga famously did this in the 2007 World Cup against South Africa, which is considered even more remarkable than a standard hat-trick.
Do wides and no-balls break a hat-trick?
No. Only legal deliveries count toward the three balls of a hat-trick. A wide or no-ball bowled in between does not break the sequence, as long as the three wickets fall on three successive scoring deliveries from the same bowler.
Can a hat-trick span two different innings or matches?
Yes. If a bowler takes a wicket with the last legal ball of one innings and then two more with the first two legal balls of their next innings, it counts as a hat-trick. The deliveries must simply be the bowler’s next consecutive legal balls.
Can a spinner take a hat-trick?
Absolutely. Hat-tricks are not limited to fast bowlers. A spinner might bowl one batter, trap the next LBW and have the third caught at slip across three balls. Several Test and limited-overs hat-tricks have been taken by spinners using flight, turn and variations like the googly.
Conclusion
A hat-trick in cricket — three wickets in three consecutive balls by one bowler — is a rare blend of skill and nerve. Remember that run outs do not count, the balls only need to be consecutive for the bowler, and feats like four-in-four are rarer still. From Chetan Sharma to Lasith Malinga, hat-tricks live long in the memory. To keep learning the laws that govern these moments, read about the free hit rule in cricket.
