That great record in cricket history, which has remained unbroken for 114 years, two hat-tricks in the same match and the same day!

New Delhi. In the rich history of more than 140 years of Test cricket, many such records have been made which make one want to bite one’s teeth, but can you imagine such a miracle where in the same Test match, and that too within just one day, a bowler takes a hat-trick twice? It sounds like a fantasy or magical story, but it is a historical reality recorded in cricket books. Australia’s leg-spinner Jimmy Matthews had set a record about 114 years ago, which has never been seen again since and will probably never be broken in the future.

This incident happened in the year 1912, when the ‘Triangular Test Tournament’ was being played for the first and last time on the soil of England. Teams from Australia, South Africa and host England were participating in this unique tournament. On 27 May 1912, the match between Australia and South Africa started at the Old Trafford ground in Manchester. On the second day of the match, i.e. on 28 May 1912, something happened which no one had even imagined. This Australian spinner named Jimmy Matthews destroyed the South African batting order with his magical spin.

Sensational end of the first innings

Australia had scored a huge score of 448 runs in the first innings. In reply, the South African team, which came to bat, looked to be in a strong position, but then Jimmy Mathews came on the attack. Charles Llewellyn was out as the 8th wicket of South Africa’s first innings. After this, Mathews caught out the new batsman Reggie Schwarz on his own ball. On the very next ball, he completed his first hat-trick by getting Albert Vogeler caught by wicketkeeper Barlow. South Africa’s first innings was reduced to just 265 runs.

Made history again in one day

Australia decided to give follow-on to South Africa. Mathews’ havoc continued in South Africa’s second innings as well. On the same day, i.e. 28th May, Mathews once again took charge of the ball during South Africa’s second innings. This time he bowled opener Roland Beaumont for the fifth wicket of the second innings. After this, Sid Pegler was given out LBW on the next ball. Now only one ball was left to create history. South African wicketkeeper Tommy Ward comes to the crease. Mathews bowled the ball and Ward was caught on his own ball. With this, Mathews completed his second consecutive hat-trick of the match and his personal second.

Why is this record ‘immortal and unbreakable’?

In the long history of cricket, great bowlers like Wasim Akram, Hugh Trumbull and Stuart Broad have definitely achieved the feat of taking a hat-trick in two different matches in their entire career, but Jimmy Mathews is the only bowler in the world to take a hat-trick in both the innings of the same Test match. The most interesting thing is that both these hat-tricks were taken within the same day (28 May). In today’s modern cricket, where technology, video analysis and dominance of batsmen have increased, taking a hat-trick becomes a lifetime achievement for a bowler. In such a situation, it seems almost impossible to take consecutive wickets on three balls in both the innings of the same match. This great record of Jimmy Mathews is included in those selected records in the history of cricket, which will cross the boundaries of time and remain immortal forever.