Australia’s Megan Schutt Claims a Rare Hat-trick against India
Mar 26, 2018 at 3:19 PM
Fast bowler Megan Schutt became the first Australian woman to claim a T20I hat-trick when she halted India’s innings in the fourth match of the T20I tri-series in Mumbai.
Meanwhile, batting first, the Aussies set a target of 187 banking on a strong performance from Beth Mooney and Elyse Villani.
Schutt struck the first blow with the fifth ball of the second over of India’s chase. She removed in-form India opener Smriti Mandhana, the ball ricocheting off her pads and onto the stumps.
Her dismissal brought Mithali Raj to the crease, and an identical result followed. Mithali chopped on to the stumps for a first-ball duck to leave Schutt on a hat-trick at the start of the next over.
However, both the deliveries were well outside the off-stump as the batter deflected it on to the woodwork. Meanwhile, Schutt is sheepishly giggling and putting her head in her hands in mock embarrassment as the wickets tumbled.
Meanwhile, strangely Schutt had to wait longer than expected for her hat-trick ball. Australian skipper Meg Lanning decided not to bring Schutt back to bowl the fourth over.
But Schutt returned from the other end to bowl the fifth over and with her first delivery – the hat-trick ball – she enticed a slog from Deepti Sharma, who only succeeded in picking out Amanda-Jade Wellington at mid-off, completing the historic feat and leaving India reeling at 3-26.
However, this is the seventh hat-trick taken in women’s T20Is and the second Australian after Brett Lee to do so. Also, Schutt is the third Australian woman to take a hat-trick in international cricket, joining Betty Wilson and Rene Farrell.
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