Melbourne Renegades' Cameron Boyce has created history in the Big Bash League (BBL) by taking a double hat-trick against Sydney Thunders. The 32-year-old is the first player in the BBL to achieve the feat after he scalped four wickets in four balls. Boyce has now joined a rare club of players in the record books as he joins Lasith Malinga, Andree Russell, Alfonso Thomas and other few names in the list.
Timeline
After a bright start and an 80-run opening stand, both Alex Hales and Usman Khawaja were going well. However, on the last ball of the seventh over Boyce dismissed Hales through Unmukt Chand on 44 runs. The 32-year-old returned to bowl the ninth over and scalped Jason Sangha (2) and followed that with back-to-back LBW's. First Alex Ross (0) became his hat-trick victim and then Daniel Sams (0), to achieve the rare feat. He ended with figures of 21/5 in his four overs.
Rarity in T20 Cricket
Boyce joins a unique list of players to have taken a double hat-trick in T20 cricket, he joins Russell, Rashid Khan, AL-Amin Hossain and Curtis Campher. Russell did his trick in September 2013 against India A. He managed to scalp Yuvraj Singh, Kedar Jadhav, Naman Ojha and Yusuf Pathan. While, Al-Amin managed to scalp four in four between UCB and BCB Eleven in a domestic tournament of Bangladesh.
Boyce arrives late for Renegades
The Renegades have endured a tough time in the BBL and are languishing bottom of the table. Wednesday's (January 19) encounter is the last of the current campaign. But Boyce's heroics have given them some encouragement as they close the campaign. In 13 matches so far they have only 16 points.
Boyce will certainly enjoy the day as he joins some greats of the game to a hat-trick. Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Peter Siddle have taken hat-tricks for Australia. He is the eighth bowler to take a hat-trick in the BBL history and the first from Melbourne Renegades to achieve the feat.
