Punjab Kings fast bowler Nathan Ellis grabbed a stunning hat-trick for his franchise Hobart Hurricanes in the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) 2022-23 at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart on Sunday, January 15.
The 28-year-old Australian international bagged his hat-trick across two overs against Sydney Thunder in the ongoing twelfth season of the tournament.
Ellis trapped Thunder’s wicketkeeper-batter Matthew Gilkes (13) in front of the stumps on the last ball of the fourth over. He returned in the 15th over to dismiss Oliver Davies (45) on the very first ball and followed it up by cleaning up Nathan McAndrew for a duck to register a sensational hat-trick.
BOWLED HIM! NATHAN ELLIS HAS A HAT-TRICK! #BBL12 pic.twitter.com/KeRJGy7fne
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 15, 2023
The right-arm pacer later scalped Ben Cutting (20) to finish with career-best T20 figures of 4/27.
Ellis’ brilliant spell helped the Hurricanes bundle out the Thunder for 135 in their allotted 20 overs. In reply, the Hurricanes rode on Tim David’s unbeaten 41-ball 76 to chase down the total in just 16.1 overs and secure a dominating five-wicket win.
With the incredible feat, Ellis became just the ninth bowler to record a BBL hat-trick. He joined an illustrious club, comprising Xavier Doherty, Andrew Tye, Josh Lalor, Haris Rauf, Rashid Khan, Gurinder Sandhu, Cameron Boyce and Michael Neser. He is the second bowler to bag a hat-trick in BBL 2022-23 after Neser.
The Punjab Kings fast bowler has been in impressive form in the ongoing BBL, having claimed 14 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 23.42 and an economy of 8.59.
Ellis, who was the first cricketer to claim a hat-trick on T20I debut, will aim to continue his scintillating form for the Kings in the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League (IPL).
