Trumble to Broad: Bowlers with most Test hat-tricks

Sportstar takes a look at the four bowlers who recorded the rare feat of picking a hat-trick twice in Tests.

Wasim Akram (left), the Pakistan pace legend, became the third bowler in Test history to pick two hat-tricks.

Picking a hat-trick for any bowler at any level or in any form of cricket is a rarity. In Test cricket, it has occurred 45 times, with four bowlers having picked a hat-trick twice in the longer format of the game.

Sportstar takes a look at the four bowlers who recorded the rare feat of picking a hat-trick twice in Tests.

Hugh Trumble: A fine off-break bowler and was the first to pick a hat-trick twice against the same opponent and at the same venue (Melbourne). In 1902 against England, Trumble dismissed A. Jones, J. R. Gunn and S. F. Barnes for his first hat-trick. Again in 1904 versus England, he scalped B. J. T Bosanquet, P.F. Warner and A.F.A Liley to record his second hat-trick. He played in 32 Tests for Australia and took 141 wickets.

Thomas James Mathews: A leg-break bowler and popularly known as Jimmy Mathews, turned up for Australia in eight Test matches. But remains the only bowler to have claimed a hat-trick in each innings of a Test match. In South Africa’s first innings, Mathews snared Rolland Beaumont, Sid Pegler and Tommy Ward. While in the second essay, his victims were Herbie Taylor, Reggie Schwarz and Ward.

Wasim Akram: The Pakistan pace legend became the third bowler in Test history to pick two hat-tricks. Akram achieved the milestone in 1999 against Sri Lanka. In the third Test of Asian Test Championship in Lahore, he dismissed Romesh Kaluwitharana, Niroshan Bandaratilleke and Pramodya Wickramasinghe for his first hat-trick. Then in the final of the same tournament against the same opponent in Dhaka, he got his second Test hat-trick when he scalped Avishka Gunawardene, Chaminda Vaas and Mahela Jayawardene.

Stuart Broad: The England bowler is the fourth and latest entry to the club when in 2011 and 2014 he picked his hat-tricks against India and Sri Lanka respectively. In Nottingham, he removed M. S. Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh and Praveen Kumar to pick his first hat-trick. Then at Leeds in the second Test against Sri Lanka, Broad bagged his second hat-trick spanning two separate overs when he got rid of Kumar Sangakkara, Dinesh Chandimal and Shaminda Eranga.