Hat-trick

A hat-trick in sports is associated with succeeding at anything three times in three consecutive attempts. In North America it is often rendered as hat trick, with no hyphen. (The Oxford English Dictionary lists it unhyphenated and gives a variety of examples published in the 19th and 20th centuries both with and without the hyphen.)

Cricket

See also: Test cricket hat-tricks

See also: One Day International cricket hat-tricks

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; i.e., run outs do not contribute to a hat-trick.

Hat-tricks are very rare and as such are treasured by bowlers. The term was first used to describe HH Stephenson's feat in 1858^[1] and was used in print for the first time in 1878.^[2] 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 24 hat-tricks up to March 28 2007, the first by Jalal-ud-Din for Pakistan against Australia in 1982, and the most recent by Lasith Malinga for Sri Lanka against South Africa at the ICC World Cup 2007. 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 September 16, 2007 in South Africa.

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. ^[3][4]

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.

See also: List of first-class cricket records#Hat-tricks

While all hat-tricks are rare and prized, some examples are particularly extraordinary. On the 2 December 1998 Merv Hughes playing for Australia wrapped up the West Indies innings by dismissing Curtly Ambrose and Patrick Patterson with consecutive balls. 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. But the most prolonged and involved hat-trick was perhaps when Melbourne Club cricketer Stephen Hickman, playing for PowerHouse, 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 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. Powerhouse 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.^[5]

Marbles

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

Hockey

In both field hockey and ice hockey a hat-trick is when a player scores three goals in a game. Although people may consider a hat trick as three goals scored in a row, this is commonly confused with a natural hat trick (below).

If a member of the home team in ice hockey scores a hat-trick, fans acknowledge it by throwing their own hats from the stands onto the ice, often causing a delay in play. This custom was started with Sammy Taft, Canadian businessman who coined the term, and who died at 81 on Jan 2 1994^{[citation needed]}. Mr Taft would offer a hat from his shop for any player who scored 3 times in the game (the 'hat' trick) . Fans soon followed his lead and offered their hats to the player as well, throwing them onto the ice.

In 1996, the Florida Panthers fans celebrated goals (not just hat-tricks) by throwing plastic rats onto the ice, which were then cleaned up by men dressed in Orkin exterminator outfits. The history of this goes back to an incident in December 1995, when Scott Mellanby scored what teammate John Vanbiesbrouck dubbed a "rat trick" after ridding the Panthers' locker room at Miami Arena of an unwanted rat with his stick on the same night he scored a pair of goals^{[citation needed]}. When Mellanby scored a hat trick in a later game some fans threw plastic rats on the ice, mimicking the octopus thrown by Detroit Red Wings fans, and the practice soon became universal for Panthers home goals. The NHL later responded by banning the throwing of objects onto the ice by fans at the cost of a penalty for the home team, but specifically allowed the traditional throwing of hats to continue. There appears to be some leeway with regards to what can be thrown onto the ice following a hat trick, as witnessed after the Nashville Predators' Paul Kariya scored a hat trick on April 18, 2006 when two catfish were thrown on the ice and no penalty was given^{[citation needed]}.

Former Blackhawk Bill Mosienko holds the NHL record for scoring the fastest hat trick,^{[citation needed]} scoring 3 goals in 21 seconds against the New York Rangers on March 23, 1952.

A natural hat trick is when a player scores either a) a goal in each of the three periods, b) three goals in one period, or c) three of his team's goals in succession in one game. 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 (though Howe himself only recorded one 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 the "ultimate hat trick", or a "quintella", or "Lemieux Cycle") in which he scored in five possible game situations in one game, on 31 December 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 February 23, 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.

Association football

A hat-trick occurs in football (soccer) when a player scores three goals in a single game, although there are various contrasting interpretations as to the exact criteria of a valid football hat-trick. It is commonly held that the goals can be scored at any time in the match, whether in normal, injury or extra time, and for some this is the only condition necessary to satisfy the definition of a hat-trick.^[6] As with other goal-scoring statistics, goals in a penalty shootout are not counted.

There also exists the widely accepted concept of the 'flawless' or 'German' hat-trick, which differs in that all three goals must be scored consecutively within one period of play.^[7] Also referred to in football is the "Perfect Hat-trick" (also known as the "Golden hat-trick" or the "Classic hat-trick"). This relates to the scoring of three goals in a single match, one with each foot and one with the head. A recent example of this was Mikael Forssell's hat-trick for Birmingham City against Tottenham Hotspur in March 2008.

It has become traditional for the scorer of a hat-trick to claim the match ball as a personal souvenir of the feat.

The world record for fastest hat-trick belongs to former Ross County player Tommy Ross, who scored three goals in 90 seconds, versus Nairn County F.C. in Victoria Park in 1964. James Hayter holds the record for the fastest English Football League hat-trick coming on as an 84th minute substitute for AFC Bournemouth against Wrexham F.C. 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. Also Fenerbahçe's player Mateja Kezman has a record by scoring in 4 minutes against Alanyaspor in January 2008.

The fastest hat trick in the history of Major League Soccer belongs to Harut Karapetyan (then of the Los Angeles Galaxy), who completed it in roughly five minutes in a June 1998 match against the Dallas Burn. The Galaxy won the match 8-1.

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's Final. In the 2006 World Cup no hat-tricks were scored.

Rugby

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. A related concept is that of a "full house", scoring a try, conversion, penalty goal, and drop goal, although only the fly half, or designated kicker, would be able to accomplish this feat.

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

Baseball

When one batter strikes out three times in a single baseball game it is sometimes jokingly referred to as a hat trick. Four strikeouts in one game is referred to as a sombrero, five strikeouts in one game is referred to as a golden sombrero, and six in one game is known as a Horn, after Sam Horn of the Baltimore Orioles who accomplished the feat in an extra-inning game in 1991. Alex S. Gonzalez of the Toronto Blue Jays tied the record in 1998. The original hat trick in baseball is an actual achievement, known as "hitting for the cycle." This involves a player hitting a single, double, triple, and home run during a game.

Basketball

When a basketball player misses all three free throws after being fouled during shooting from behind the 3 point arc, it is often referred to as pulling a hat trick.

Auto racing

In auto racing, a hat trick is attained by a driver who (1) wins a race (2) from pole position while (3) garnering the fastest recorded lap of the race. If a rider/driver leads the most laps during the race, in conjunction with winning the race, starting from pole and setting the fastest lap, this would be considered a double hat trick.

Computer games

A hat-trick is featured in Unreal Tournament 2004 Capture the Flag if one player captures the flag three times. These three captures need not be consecutive. Unreal Tournament 2003 (and Unreal Tournament 2004) also uses this term to signify when a single player scores 3 times in a row in Bombing Run using the 7 point method. Unreal Tournament 3 also uses this to signify 3 consecutive captures in standard and Vehicle CTF.

A hat-trick in the online game Toontown is accomplished by defeating all three bosses in consecutive runs.

Other uses

Hat Trick Productions is an independent British production company. Their shows include Whose Line Is It Anyway? and The Kumars at No. 42. The company's logo shows a rabbit pulling a magician out of a hat.

Hat Trick Media is a New York-based interactive agency and production company run by Rob Veksler and Caleb Omens. The company specializes in broadcast media for the web, design, database engineering, corporate and industrial video. Clients have included Virgin, Altoids, Remy Martin, and Nikon. [1]

The act of sleeping with three different people in a single day is referred to in slang as a "hat trick," due to the tongue-in-cheek comparison to a sporting accomplishment.

See also

• Gordie Howe hat trick
• Nap hand
• Hat Trick Productions
• Test cricket hat-tricks
• One Day International cricket hat-tricks
• Trifecta
• America, the 70's folk-rock band, entitled their third album Hat Trick, clearly hoping for their third recording success in a row.

References

cs:Hattrick

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