What is a Hat Trick in Cricket? | Explained

Claiming a hat trick is a rare achievement in cricket, like a batter hitting consecutive 6 sixes or 6 fours in an over. And bowlers enjoy it the most.

But what is a hat trick in cricket?

In this article, we’ll look at the meaning of the hat trick in cricket.

Hat Trick in Cricket

A hat trick means a bowler taking 3 wickets on 3 consecutive deliveries bowled by them. Now this can either happen in a single over, across 2 overs, or across 2 innings* (in a Test match or a First-Class match).

To help you understand it, let’s take a look at some examples.

Suppose a bowler dismisses 3 batters on the first 3 balls of an over, then this is a hat trick completed in a single over.

Now, say a bowler takes 2 wickets on the last 2 balls of their first over and takes another wicket on the first ball of their second over, then this is a hat trick claimed across 2 overs.

Finally, in a Test or First-Class match, a bowler picks up the last wicket of the opponent, ending their first innings. Now the same bowler takes the first 2 wickets on the second inning’s first 2 balls, making it a hat trick across different innings in the same match.

But to claim a hat trick, a bowler needs to remove batters through legal dismissal methods like bowled out, caught out, Leg Before Wicket (LBW), or stumped out.

Also Read | What Happens After an Over is Completed in Cricket?

But how did the term ‘hat trick’ emerge in cricket?

Well, back in the 19th century, whenever a bowler took 3 wickets on back-to-back deliveries, they would get a reward.

What reward? They would get a hat or cap as a reward for their excellent achievement. 

Since attaining this rare feat was like a magician showcasing their magic tricks using a hat, it gave us the term ‘hat trick’.

Are there different types of hat tricks?

Yes. There are 2 more types of hat tricks apart from the one mentioned above. One is a double hat trick, and the other is a team hat trick.

Double Hat Trick

The double hat trick is a notch ahead of the regular hat trick. A bowler can claim a double hat trick when they dismiss 4 batters off 4 consecutive balls. It’s a once-in-a-while type of hat trick.

Team Hat Trick

As the name suggests, this hat trick involves one or more players from the bowling side. But it happens when a bowler picks up 2 wickets, while the other dismissal is a run out, all on consecutive deliveries.

Suppose a bowler took 2 back-to-back wickets and a fielder or the bowler affected a run out on the next ball, making it a team hat trick.

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