It was a bowlers day out in the T20 Blast on Friday after three players, Adam Milne, Lockie Ferguson and Blake Cullen picked up hat-tricks for their respective teams.
Kent’s Milne vs Surrey
Kent were up against Surrey when Adam Milne achieved the feat in Canterbury. Batting first, Kent rode on some fine batting from Jack Leaning and Jordon Cox as both the batsmen struck individual fifties during the course to take the total to 191/4 in 20 overs.
Surrey in reply started off well as opener Will Jacks and Jamie Smith put 43 on the board for the first wicket in 4.1 overs before Smith departed for 9. Jacks then had stitched a 92-run stand for the second wicket but the opener’s departure for 87 off 54 pushed Surrey on the backfoot as they were reduced to 148/3.
But Laurie Evans tried to steady the ship from one end as he notched up 57 off 42. Surrey needed 18 off the last over and it was Milne who had the ball in his hands. He scalped the wickets of Ollie Pope, Kyle Jamieson and Evans on the last three deliveries of the innings to claim the hat trick as Kent won by 11 runs.
Yorkshire’s Lockie Ferguson vs Lancashire
Yorkshire who batted first posted 180/4 in 20 overs against Lancashire, courtesy an unbeaten 91 off 50 deliveries from Harry Brook.
Lancashire had a disappointing start to the chase and lost wickets at regular intervals to get reduced to 70/4 before Rob Jones and Steven Croft showed some resistance and put up a partnership of 85 runs for the fifth wicket before Croft was undone for 41 off 23.
The equation was down to 32 off 12 and eventually came to 20 off 6. Ferguson got the ball to bowl the last over and the fast bowler bagged a hat trick on the last three deliveries of the innings. He first dismissed Luke Wells who took the aerial route but miscued his stroke to give a catch to Lyth in the deep and then cleaned up Luke Wood.
Wood’s wicket was followed by Tom Hartley’s scalp who also mistimed a shot and Lyth completed a nice running catch as Ferguson completed his hat trick.
Middlesex’s Blake Cullen vs Somerset
Blake Cullen scalped a hat trick against Somerset in Taunton after dismissing Lewis Goldsworthy on the last ball of the 14th over and then returned in the 18th over to complete the hat trick.
Cullen picked up the wickets of Ben Green and Marchant de Lange on consecutive deliveries at the start of the 18th over. Somerset were bundled out for 152 after Cullen returned with figures of 4/32 in 4 overs.
Middlesex were then restricted to 114/6 in 16 overs and Somerset won the match by 5 runs (DLS method). Craig Overton picked up three wickets during the course.