Lasith Malinga – the hat-trick wizard

#4 Sri Lanka v South Africa ODI, Guyana 2007

Malinga celebrates his hattrick

In the 2007 World Cup, where Sri Lanka made it to the final, Malinga made headlines by creating a bowling record that has stood the test of time. He became the first player in ODIs and therefore, at the World Cup, to pick four wickets in four balls.

The Sri Lankan showed how a good bowler can change things even in the last moment. Chasing just 210 set by Sri Lanka, South Africa were cruising at 206 for 5, requiring another five runs to clinch the game in the Super Eights.

However, Malinga picked up the wickets of Shaun Pollock and Andrew Hall in the last two balls of the 45^th over. He came back in the 47^th over and picked up the well-set Jacques Kallis in the first ball, thereby completing his hat-trick.

The next ball he got Makhaya Ntini and before they knew it, South Africa found themselves at 207 for 9 in the 47^th over. Sri Lanka were baying for blood. Somehow the last two batsmen, Robin Peterson and Charles Langeveldt scampered for the remaining runs and South Africa won in the 49^th over by just one wicket.

Malinga’s figures of 4/54 don’t tell the complete story of how impressive he was and how he made the match exciting with a stunning spell.