Hat-trick

In sport, a hat-trick (or hat trick) means to achieve a positive feat in the sport three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes^[1]. For instance in association football or ice hockey a player might score three goals, whilst in cricket a bowler might take three wickets in three consecutive deliveries.

The term was first used in cricket, to describe HH Stephenson's feat in 1858^[2] and was used in print for the first time in 1878.^[3]

Contents 1 Cricket 2 Association football 2.1 Definition in Association football 3 Hockey 3.1 Origins 3.2 Variations 3.3 Humorous references 4 Rugby league and Rugby union 5 Lacrosse 6 Poker 7 Motor Racing 8 Marbles 9 Scrabble 10 Darts 11 See also 12 References

Cricket

A hat-trick occurs in cricket when a bowler dismisses three batsmen with consecutive deliveries. The deliveries may be interrupted by an over bowled by another bowler from the other end of the pitch or the other team's innings, but must be three consecutive deliveries by the individual bowler. Only wickets attributed to the bowler count towards a hat-trick; run outs do not count.

Hat-tricks are very rare and as such are treasured by bowlers. In Test cricket history there have been just 37 hat-tricks, the first achieved by Fred Spofforth for Australia against England in 1879, and the most recent by Ryan Sidebottom for England against New Zealand in 2008. In 1912, Australian Jimmy Matthews achieved the feat twice in one game against South Africa. The only other players to achieve two hat-tricks are Australia's Hugh Trumble, against England in 1902 and 1904, and Pakistan's Wasim Akram, in separate games against Sri Lanka in 1999.

In One Day International cricket there have been 26 hat-tricks up to 22 Jun 2010, the first by Jalal-ud-Din for Pakistan against Australia in 1982, and the most recent by Farveez Maharoof for Sri Lanka cricket team against India on Jun 22, 2010 in the Sixth ODI of the Asia Cup played in Sri Lanka. Three players have taken two one-day international hat-tricks in their careers: Wasim Akram and Saqlain Mushtaq of Pakistan and Chaminda Vaas of Sri Lanka. (Akram therefore has four international hat-tricks in total).

In Twenty20 International Cricket, Brett Lee of Australia had a hat-trick against Bangladesh in the Super Eight of the Twenty20 World Cup on 16 September 2007 in South Africa. Jacob Oram of New Zealand made a hat-trick against Sri Lanka on 2 September 2009 in Colombo.^[4]

Taking two wickets in two consecutive deliveries is occasionally known as a brace, or (more commonly) being on a hat-trick. This is only a run-up to the hat-trick. If a hat-trick is not achieved, it is not called a brace.

Four wickets in four balls is referred to in cricket literature and record books as four in four but the term double hat-trick has also been used in the media, as it will contain two different sets of three consecutively dismissed batsmen. It has only occurred once in international one-day cricket, in the 2007 World Cup, when Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga managed the feat against South Africa by dismissing Shaun Pollock, Andrew Hall, Jacques Kallis and Makhaya Ntini, though it has occurred on other occasions in first-class cricket. Kevan James of Hampshire took four wickets in four balls and scored a century in the same county game against India in 1996. The Cricinfo report on the game claimed that this was unique in cricket.^[5][6].

Albert Trott and Joginder Rao are the only two bowlers credited with two hat-tricks in the same innings in first class cricket. One of Trott's two hat-tricks, for Middlesex against Somerset at Lords in 1907, was a four in four.

While all hat-tricks are rare and prized, some examples are particularly extraordinary. On 2 December 1988, Merv Hughes, playing for Australia, dismissing Curtly Ambrose with the last ball of his penultimate over and Patrick Patterson with the first ball of his next over, wrapping up the West Indies first innings. When Hughes returned to bowl in the West Indies second innings, he trapped Gordon Greenidge lbw with his first ball, completing a hat-trick over two different innings and becoming the only player in Test cricket history to achieve the three wickets of a hat-trick in three different overs.

The most involved hat-trick was perhaps when Melbourne club cricketer Stephen Hickman, playing for Power House, achieved a hat-trick spread over three overs, two days, two innings, involved the same batsman twice, and was observed by the same non striker, with the hat-trick ball being bowled from the opposite end to the first two. In the Mercantile Cricket Association C Grade semi final at Fawkner Park South Yarra in Melbourne, Gunbower United Cricket Club were 8 for 109 when Hickman came on to bowl his off spin. He took a wicket with the last ball of his third over and then bowled number 11 batsman Richard Higgins with the first ball of his next over to complete the Gunbower innings, leaving Chris Taylor the not out batsman. Power House scored 361 putting the game out of reach of Gunbower. In the second innings opener Taylor was joined by Higgins at the fall of the fourth wicket as Hickman returned to the attack. With his first ball, observed by an incredulous Taylor at the non-strikers end, he clean bowled Higgins leaving Higgins with a pair of golden ducks.^[7]

At least one triple hat-trick has been achieved, in a New Zealand club match. This feat was achieved by Scott Babot of Wainuiomata Cricket Club playing in the Senior 3 grade. It consisted of five wickets in five balls, across two innings, and separated by seven days, as the match in question took place on two consecutive Saturdays.^[8]

Association football

Definition in Association football

A hat-trick occurs in association football when a player has scored three goals in a single game. In common with other official record-keeping rules, goals in a penalty shootout are excluded from the tally.^[9]

Variations

There are several variations of the definition, including:

• A "Perfect (or Englishman's)" hat-trick is when player scores one goal with their right foot, one with their left foot and one goal with a header^[10].

• A "Flawless (or German)" hat-trick, which differs in that the three goals must be scored consecutively and within one period of play.^[11]

• A "Classic" hat-trick occurs when a player scores all his goals consecutively in a single half of a game.

Various annotated records

Jimmy O'Connor who played for Shelbourne in Ireland has the quickest hat trick in history, scoring three goals in 2min 13sec.

James Hayter holds the record for the fastest English Football League hat-trick coming on as an 84th minute substitute for Bournemouth against Wrexham netting 3 goals in less than 140 seconds. Robbie Fowler currently holds the fastest hat-trick in Premiership history by scoring 3 goals within 4 minutes and 33 seconds for Liverpool against Arsenal in 1994. Nigel Clough scored a hat-trick in exactly 4 minutes in the old First Division (the highest league in English football before the advent of the Premier League) for Nottingham Forest against Queens Park Rangers in the 1987/88 season. On 4 September 1950, Blackpool's George McKnight scored a hat-trick against Fulham "in under four minutes".^[12]

The fastest hat trick in the history of Major League Soccer was scored by Harut Karapetyan for Los Angeles Galaxy, he completed it in roughly five minutes in June 1998, in a match against Dallas Burn. LA Galaxy won the match 8–1.

In World Cups American Bert Patenaude scored the first hat-trick in the 1930 inaugural. Sandor Kocsis (1954), Just Fontaine (1958) and Gerd Müller (1970) scored two hat-tricks in the same World Cup. Gabriel Batistuta scored hat-tricks in two World Cups (1994 and 1998) Geoff Hurst scored a hat-trick in the 1966 Final – the only one in a Final. At least one hat-trick has been scored in every World Cup tournament except the 2006 tournament.

Seven players have scored a hat-trick in the UEFA European Football Championship. Of those seven, Michel Platini is the only player to have scored two hat-tricks (against Belgium and Yugoslavia), both in the group stage of Euro 1984. David Villa scored a hat trick at the Euro 2008 competition in Austria and Switzerland for Spain against group rivals Russia, a game which Spain won 4–1.

Dennis Bergkamp scored a memorable hat trick against Leicester City in September 1997. The hat trick of goals were the top three in the Match of the Day Goal of the Month competition for that month; a unique achievement.

Jermain Defoe of Tottenham Hotspur scored a hat trick in just seven minutes during the second half of a game against Wigan on November 22, 2009. He then went on to score a further two goals in the game, a total of five in just thirty-six minutes, only the third time a player has scored five goals since the English Premier League was introduced in 1992.

In March 2010, Bryan Ruiz of FC Twente scored one of the quickest hat tricks ever against Sparta Rotterdam, with goals in the 46th, 49th (pen) and 50th minutes.

Hockey

In both field hockey and ice hockey, a hat trick occurs when a player scores three goals in a single game. A hat trick, as it is known in its current form, culminates with fans throwing hats onto the ice from the stands. The tradition is said to have begun among fans in the National Hockey League around the 1950s.^[13]

Origins

According to the Henri Henri hat store in Montreal, before 1967 when there were only the Original Six teams in the NHL, the store rewarded players who had scored three goals or more in one game at the Montreal Forum with a free hat, which brought the "Hat Trick" expression into the world of hockey. The list of winners includes the legendary players such as Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull from the Chicago Black Hawks, Maurice Richard and Elmer Lach from the home-town Montreal Canadiens, Norm Ullman from the Detroit Red Wings, and many others.^[14]

The earliest account of a hat being awarded for scoring three goals is known to have occurred in Toronto when a local businessman, Sammy Taft, was approached by the Chicago Black Hawks forward Alex Kaleta. According to legend, Kaleta entered Taft's shop to purchase a new hat but didn't have enough money. Taft arranged a deal with Kaleta stipulating that if Kaleta scored three goals as he played the Toronto Maple Leafs that night, he would give him a free hat. That night, on January 26, 1946, Kaleta scored four goals against the Maple Leafs and Taft made good on his offer.^[13]

While this account is credited by the Hockey Hall of Fame as the hat trick's origin in the NHL,^[13] there exists a competing story in Guelph, Ontario. In the 1950s, the Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA), who were then a farm team of the National Hockey League (NHL)'s New York Rangers, were sponsored by Guelph-based Biltmore Hats, a leading manufacturer of hats with North American dominance. The sponsor would award any Madhatters player who scored three goals in a game with a new fedora.^[13]

Variations

A natural hat trick is when a player scores three goals in succession, with no other players from either his own or the opposing team scoring any goals in-between.

On October 17, 2008, Zach Harrison of the Minnesota State University Mavericks recorded a shorthanded natural hat trick against the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux. Harrison scored the three consecutive short handed goals over a span of 29:54. According to the Hockey Hall of Fame, they were not sure that this feat had ever been accomplished before, and have since put Harrison's stick on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame. However, C.J. Young of Harvard is believed to have accomplished a shorthanded natural hat trick in 1988 against Dartmouth.

On November 22, 2008, Elin Holmlov of the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs recorded a natural hat trick against the North Dakota Fighting Sioux at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center arena in Duluth, MN. Holmlov scored the goals in a span of 29:01 and went on to score a fourth goal in a 6-2 victory by the Bulldogs. Holmlov was named the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Offensive Player of the Week. It is unknown if any other player in women's NCAA Division I hockey has scored a natural hat trick.^[15]

On December 4, 2009, Neil Musselwhite of the State University of New York at Oswego Lakers recorded a shorthanded natural hat trick against the State University of New York at Brockport Golden Eagles. Musselwhite scored the goals over a span of just 2:59 towards the end of the second period, and the beginning of the third period. Musselwhite netted 4 total goals in the game en route to a 10–1 Oswego victory. This was the first shorthanded natural hat trick in the history of Division III Men's ice hockey.

On April 20, 2010, Matt Calvert of the WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings scored a natural short handed hat trick in a span of 6:47 against the Calgary Hitmen. This feat was accomplished during game 3 of the Wheat Kings Hitmen WHL Eastern Conference final. Calgary went on to win the game 6–3.

On April 24, 2010, Scott Timmins of the OHL's Windsor Spitfires scored a natural hat trick against the Kitchener Rangers during game 6 of the OHL Western Conference final. The final score was 6–4, in favour of Windsor.^[16]

On May 6, 2010, Johan Franzen of the NHL's Detroit Red Wings, scored a natural hat trick against the San Jose Sharks during game 4 of the NHL Western Conference Semi Final. Franzen was first thought to have scored the games first four goals, but the first goal was reviewed and credited to Todd Bertuzzi. Franzen's goals came at the 7:50, 10:43 & 11:16 marks of the first period.

Humorous references

A player accomplishes a Gordie Howe hat trick by scoring a goal, getting an assist, and getting in a fight, all in the same game (Howe himself only recorded two in his career). While this description has remained popular, it doesn't satisfy the conditions of a hat trick.

Mario Lemieux once accomplished what was unofficially referred to as a Mario Lemieux hat trick in 1993, by receiving radiation treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma the day of the game, and then scoring a goal and an assist that night against the Philadelphia Flyers. He has also recorded a 5-goal hat trick (or "ultimate hat trick", "quintella", "Texas Hat Trick", or "Lemieux Cycle") in which he scored in all five possible game situations in one game, on December 31, 1988, against the New Jersey Devils. He scored on a powerplay, short handed, even strength, penalty shot, and an empty net goal. Calgary Flames star Jarome Iginla came close on 23 February 2003, against the Phoenix Coyotes: he scored on a powerplay, shorthanded, even strength and an empty net goal, but Mario Lemieux is the only player to score the "quintella" in NHL history.

In December 1995, Florida Panthers captain Scott Mellanby scored a rat trick, a term dubbed by teammate John Vanbiesbrouck after ridding the locker room of an unwanted rat with his stick, and scoring a pair of goals later that night.^[17] When Mellanby scored a hat trick in a later game, some fans threw plastic rats on the ice, a tradition that continued for all Panthers' goals throughout the 1996 playoffs. Because of the resulting game delays, the league eventually banned this activity and modified Rule 63 to impose a minor penalty against the home team for a violation.^[18]

David Legwand completed what was unofficially known as a Legwand Hat Trick in 2009 by notching a goal, assist and becoming a father, all on the same day.^[19]

In December 2009, Christopher Crane of the Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL achieved the first-ever reported Bat Trick with two goals and one dispatched bat which flew into the game in the third period, reported by Fox11 News.

On April 6, 2010, the Sidney Crosby Hat Trick was declared after the titular player made a goal, an assist and a goal-line save in Game 2 against the Ottawa Senators.^[20]

Rugby league and Rugby union

In both codes of rugby football (rugby union and rugby league) a hat-trick is scored if a player scores three or more tries in a game. In rugby union, a related concept is that of a "full house" (scoring a try, conversion, penalty goal, and drop goal) in a single game. When a player scored two tries, this is often referred to as a "brace".

As with association football, it is common for the player to be awarded the match ball after scoring a hat-trick.

Lacrosse

A hat-trick in lacrosse is when a player scores three goals in one game. However, since lacrosse is more of a high-scoring game than hockey or soccer, the accomplishment is not as rare as in hockey or soccer, and good players may pick up hat-tricks easily.

In 2004, Colorado Mammoth public address announcer Steve Meade (a local radio broadcaster known as "Willie B") used the phrase "sock-trick" to describe a player scoring six goals in a game. When Mammoth superstar Gary Gait scored six in a game against the Anaheim Storm, fans threw socks onto the playing surface, earning a delay of game penalty to Colorado (served by Gait himself).^[21]

Poker

Eliminating three players from a table with one hand in live poker play is sometimes referred to as a hat-trick and is incredibly rare. It is a much more frequent occurrence in online poker games, given the faster and greater number of hands played in online tournaments and the continuing presence of multiple "all-in" players during the early stages of tournament play as players look to build large chip stacks quickly and early.

Motor Racing

A hat trick in motor racing is deemed as three successive race wins, winning the same event three times in a row, or when a driver secures pole position, sets the fastest lap and wins the race.

Marbles

In marbles, a hat-trick occurs when a player hits all marbles in a single turn.

Scrabble

In scrabble, a hat-trick occurs when a player plays three consecutive bingos.

Darts

In darts, a hat-trick occurs when a player hits the Bullseye (target) with all three darts in a single turn.

See also

• Triple Crown
• Nap hand
• Trifecta
• Turkey (bowling)

References

Cricket statistics Batting Innings • Run • Batting average • Century • Strike rate • Not out • Four and Six Bowling Overs • Run • Wicket • No ball • Wide • Bowling average • Hat trick Fielding Catch • Leg bye Wicket-keeper Catch • Stump • Bye