Pakistan’s left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi became the first Pakistani bowler to take four wickets off four consecutive deliveries in a T20 match on Sunday night.
Afridi, who represents Hampshire in the event, achieved the historic feat during a T20 Vitality Blast match against Middlesex at Southampton and finished rthe match with his best-ever figures of 6-19.
Afridi dismissed both of Middlesex’s top-scorers before dismantling their tail in the decisive 18th over.
He took the last four wickets on four successive deliveries and not only completed his hat trick but also became the first Pakistani and seventh player overall to achieve the unique feat in T20 cricket.
Before Afridi, Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan and Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga in international matches, while West Indies’ Andre Russell against India, Bangladesh’s Al-Amin Hussain, India’s Abhimanyu Mathi and James Allenby in various domestic matches have accomplished this achievement.
Pakistan’s Aamir Yameen has taken four wickets off four balls in T10 cricket while Ali Gohar, Fazal Akbar, Kamran Hussain, Khalid Usman, Tabish Khan, and Taj Wali have also taken four wickets off four balls in first-class cricket.
The Pakistan fast bowler demolished John Simpson, Steven Finn, Thilan Walallawita and Tim Murtagh’s stumps in consecutive deliveries to blow away the visitors.
Having returned a disappointing 1 for 191 across his first six outings, Afridi celebrated an incredible 6 for 19 – Hampshire best ever T20 bowling figures, and the county’s second format hat-trick in their history.
It meant Hampshire ended a six-game losing spell to win by 22 runs, although couldn’t prevent them from finishing bottom of the group stage for the first time since 2007.
