Abu Dhabi, Oct 18 (FN Agency) Irish pace bowler Curtis Campher joined Lasith Malinga and Rashid Khan as the only bowlers who have bagged four wickets in as many balls in T20s. Campher achieved the miracle in his second over of the day and 10th of Netherlands’ innings in his side’s opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup here. Having gone for 12 runs in his first over, Campher returned for his second over with variance and angling balls in his kitty. He removed Colin Ackermann, Ryan ten Doeschate and Scott Edwards to take a hat-trick, before adding Roelof van der Merwe to his victims.
Ackermann was adjudged caught behind on review, having niggled an attempted pull off a shortish ball. ten Doeschate was trapped plumb in front of the wickets for a duck. Edwards too fell lbw as DRS tracked the ball hitting the leg stump. For the final wicket, van der Merwe dragged a wider delivery onto his stumps and the Irish celebrations were in full force. Campher’s is the first such effort in the Men’s T20 World Cup. Malinga previously achieved the feat in the 2007 Men’s Cricket World Cup against South Africa. Rashid’s four wickets came across two overs. Campher is the second man after Brett Lee in 2007 to take a hat-trick in men’s T20 World Cups.