The Cricket World Cup is fast approaching and, judging from its recent editions, we could be set for one or two hat tricks.
The global spectacle kicks off on 30 May, with a mouth-watering clash between hosts England and South Africa at The Oval.
In the competition's 44-year history, nine hat-tricks have been taken, with three of the last four instalments dishing out two apiece.
The men who have thrilled with the leatherThe first Cricket World Cup hat-trick came in the 1987 edition and was achieved by Indian seamer Chetan Sharma, who dismissed New Zealand's Ken Rutherford, Ian Smith and Ewen Chatfield on his way to the history books.
It would take another 12 years and three World Cups before the feat was repeated, with Pakistan's legendary off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq etching his name into folklore in 1999, as he skittled out Zimbabwe's tail. His victims were Henry Olonga, Adam Huckle and Pommie Mbangwa.
The turn of the century provided a few outrageous hat-tricks, starting with Chaminda Vaas early demolition job on Bangladesh in Pietermaritzburg in 2003 with the first three deliveries of the game.
The 2003 edition was the first to provide more than one hat-trick, with Australian speedster Brett Lee following suit 11 days after the wiley old Sri Lankan as he did the same against Kenya.
Four years later in the Caribbean, Vaas' countryman Lasith Malinga dished out the most thrilling of the lot against South Africa.
With the Proteas cruising to victory, needing four runs to win with five wickets in hand, the slinger threw a cat amongst pigeons as he accounted for all rounders Shaun Pollock, Andrew Hall and Jacques Kallis in consecutive balls. He was not done as, in the very next delivery, he clean bowled Makhaya Ntini to leave Robin Peterson and Charl Langeveldt on the crease.
The duo did, however, manage to steer South Africa to victory under immense pressure.
Malinga would get another hat-trick in 2011, with Kemar Roach also getting one of his own.
The 2015 World Cup featured the most unlikely addition to the list in South African batting all-rounder JP Duminy, who three wickets in as many balls helped his country to their first knock-out victory against Sri Lanka in the quarterfinal, shortly after England paceman Steve Finn had done the same against the Netherlands in the group stage.
Cape Town-180207 South African cricket spinner JP Duminy congratulated by his captain Aiden Makram after taking his first wicket in a ODI game at Newlands.photograph:Phando Jikelo/African News Agency(ANA)Cricket World Cup hat-tricksChetan Sharma India vs New Zealand (1987)
Saqlain Mushtaq Pakistan vs Zimbabwe (1999)
Chaminda Vaas Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh (2003)
Brett Lee Australia vs Kenya ( 2003)
Lasith Malinga Sri Lanka vs South Africa (2007)
Kemar Roach West Indies vs Netherlands (2011)
Lasith Malinga Sri Lanka vs Kenya (2011)
Steve Finn England vs Netherlands (2015)
JP Duminy South Africa vs Sri Lanka (2015)
Tags: Cricket World Cup 2019ProteasSouth AfricaSri Lanka
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The Cricket World Cup is fast approaching and, judging from its recent editions, we could be set for one or two hat tricks.
