In capturing a hat trick against the Windward Islands last Monday in the Cricket West Indies (CWI) competition, Trinidad and Tobago off-spinner Sunil Narine became the seventh bowler to perform the feat in Regional One-Day cricket.
The mystery off-spinner, who has also taken a hat trick at the IPL tournament, joined the coveted list when he dismissed off consecutive deliveries Kavern Hodge, Delorn Johnson and Kesrick Williams to help dismiss the Windward Islands for 222.
His final figures of 4 for 29 from 10 overs led the Trinidad’s Red Force to a four wickets victory over the Windward Islands Volcanoes at the 3Ws oval in Barbados.
Today, Statistician Charwayne Walker looks at the six previous occasions, when the feat was achieved in the regional One-Day competition.
Having the distinction of being the first to perform the feat is no other than Antigua and Leeward Islands bowler Eldine (Soca) Baptiste.
Baptiste, who played some 10 test matches and 43 ODIs for the West Indies performed the feat in the 1982 Geddes Grant/Harrison Line final against Barbados at the Antigua Recreation Ground in St. John’s dismissing Desmond Haynes, Alvin Greenidge and Carlisle Best.
The late great Malcolm Denzil Marshall playing for Barbados against Guyana 1983 at the (Mecca) Kensington Oval was next to join the hat trick show when he sent packing William Whyte, Kamal Singh and Roger Harper.
Nine years later on February 20th 1992, John `The Dentist’ Maynard made a spectacular debut by dismissing three Trinidad and Tobago batsmen on his home ground Grove Park in Nevis.
Another Trinidadian, leg spinner Rajendra Dhanraj in the course of the 1996 Shell Sandals Final at Bourda dismissed Ramnaresh Sarwan, Kenneth Wong and Roger Harper while yet another Trinidadian, Keiron Pollard in November 2008 dismissed the Leeward Islands Wilden Cornwall, Devon Thomas and Justin Athanaze at the world famous GCC, Bourda ground.
Anthony Martin, the Leeward Islands leg-spinner, playing against rivals the Windward Islands at Sabina Park, in October, 2010, dismissed Lynden James, Shane, Shillingford and Mervin Matthew with consecutive deliveries.
