Home
Indian-origin Australian cricketer Gurinder Sandhu created history in Queensland as he became the first Sydney Thunder bowler to take a hat-trick in Big Bash League (BBL). New South Wales-born Sandhu, who is son of former taxi driver Iqbal, became the sixth bowler to take a hat-trick in BBL history and first in the ongoing season.
The 28-year-old fast bowler took four wickets for 22 runs to help his side restrict table-toppers Perth Scorchers for 133/9 in a rain-curtailed 18 overs per side game.
Coming back to bowl in the 12th over, Sandhu got the wicket of Colin Munro off the last ball after getting hit for a six. The Kiwi batter misjudged an off-cutter and mistimed a shot which was caught by Ben Cutting.
Thunder skipper Green did not let him continue and gave him the ball in the 16th over. On the first ball of the 16th over, Sandhu got another wicket an off-cutter. Hard-hitting batter Aaron Hardie dragged the ball towards deep mid-wicket only to be caught by Matthew Gilkes. Off the next delivery, he got rid of Laurie Evans to complete his maiden BBL hat-trick. Sandhu bowled a slower one which took a top edge off Evans’ bat and landed in Sam Billings hands.
This was not Sandhu’s first ever hat-trick. He has registered two hat-tricks in Marsh One-Day Cup for New South Wales. Earlier in the innings, he got the wicket of opener Kurtis Patterson as well. 4/22 is also his best bowling figures in a decade-long BBL career.
Chasing 134, Thunder won the match with one over to spare by eight wickets (DLS method). Thunder got the run chase off to a good start with openers adding 51 runs from 39 deliveries. Gilkes was the first to fall for 32 off 23 deliveries. Alex Hales struggled to get boundaries and could score only 26 runs from 32 deliveries before losing his wicket to Andrew Tye in the 13th over. Jason Sangha contributed with a 34-run knock. Towards the end of the run chase, 19-run knocks from Billings and Olivier Davies helped Thunder get over the line.
