Johannesburg-born seamer Curtis Campher became only the third bowler to claim four wickets in four balls in shortest format as Ireland bundled out Netherlands for 106 in their first round Group A T20 World Cup match on Monday.
Bowling the 10th over, the 22-year-old seamer left the Netherlands innings in disarray when he dismissed Colin Ackermann, Ryan ten Doeschate, Scott Edwards and Roelof van der Merwe off successive balls.
Netherlands were in all sorts of trouble at 51 for six after Campher's multiple blows but opener Max ODowd (51) battled on amid the slide at the other end.
During his 51-ball knock, ODowd hit seven boundaries.
The day, however, belonged to Campher who had started poorly in his spell, got a lucky breakthrough down the leg side before claiming his hat-trick, only the second player after former Australia speedster Brett Lee to achieve the feat in a T20 World Cup.
In the next ball, Campher did what only two people could do before him in T20 international cricket before him, joining Lasith Malinga and Rashid Khan to take four wickets in successive balls.
Campher, who finished with figures of 4/26 from his quota of four overs, left his native South Africa in early 2020 to play for the Irish national team, a move that benefitted his adopted country immensely on the second day of the showpiece.
Pacer Mark Adair (3/9 in 4 overs), too, returned excellent figures.
(With PTI inputs)
