Australia’s pace spearhead Mitchell Starc signalled his return to peak fitness and rhythm ahead of the Ashes after picking up two hat-tricks in a Sheffield Shield match.
The 27-year-old became the first player in history to pick up two hat-tricks in the same Sheffield Shield match and only the eighth overall in first-class cricket.
Starc achieved the remarkable feat after cleaning up the last three wickets to fall in each innings during New South Wales’ JL Sheffield Shield game against Western Australia at the Hurstville Oval.
After having removed Jason Benhrendorff, David Moody and Simon Mackin in Western Australia’s first innings to achieve his first career hat-trick, Starc was in line to achieve a mirror copy in the second innings when he removed Behrendorff and Moody off consecutive deliveries.
However, it was Jono Wells who would be the hat-trick victim of the left-arm pacer the second time round as Starc etched his name into the history books.
Starc’s searing yorkers were in full display at Hurstville Oval.
The express pacer has only recently returned from a foot injury which has seen him out of action since the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this summer. The injury has kept Starc out of Australia’s tour of Bangladesh.
This was the Australian pacer’s last tune-up game before he takes on the responsibility of spearheading the hosts’ pace attack against arch-rivals England in the highly anticipated Ashes series.
Starc had picked up 10 wickets in his only other four-day match helping New South Wales thrash South Australia. The win included a match-winning performance of 8-73 in the second innings by the left-arm quick.
Starc’s wonderful run of form ahead of the Ashes will be a huge boost for Steve Smith’s men as they seek to get one over their historic rivals. The first Ashes test will begin at the Gabba in Brisbane on November 23.