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ABU DHABI: Ireland fast bowler Curtis Campher took four wickets in four balls to help bowl out the Netherlands for just 106 in a first round match of the Twenty20 World Cup on Monday.
Campher took a hat-trick and then struck again to return figures of 4-26 in the Group A opener in Abu Dhabi.
Fellow quick Mark Adair returned impressive figures of 3-9 – Ireland's most economical bowling ever in T20 World Cup.
The Netherlands never got going after opener Ben Cooper was run out in the first over following a mix up with partner Max O’Dowd, who top-scored with 51.
Campher sent back Colin Ackermann (11), Ryan ten Doeschate (0) and Scott Edwards (0) for a hat-trick and then bowled Roelof van der Merwe (0) in a sensational over.
He becomes only the third bowler in T20 International history to achieve the feat after Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan and Lasith Malinga of Sri Lanka in 2019.
The Johannesburg-born Campher is also just the second player with a hat-trick in the men’s T20 World Cup after Australia fast bowler Brett Lee, who achieved the feat against Bangladesh in the inaugural edition in 2007.
Campher, 22, had a T20 best of 3-19 from his previous four matches since making his debut in August against Zimbabwe in Dublin.
He switched ends in the match on Monday and got instant success after Ireland reviewed a caught behind for Ackermann with the ultra edge technology showing a spike when the ball passed the batsman's gloves.
Technology helped Campher once again on the hattrick ball when Edwards was given not out for an lbw call by the on-field official but replays suggested the ball would have hit the leg stump.
Skipper Pieter Seelaar scored 21 to take Netherlands past the 100-run mark. – AFP