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Perth Scorcher Alana King snags first ever Hundred hat-trick with Trent Rockets

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Australia’s Alana King has taken the first hat-trick of England’s Women’s Hundred competition.
Camera IconAustralia’s Alana King has taken the first hat-trick of England’s Women’s Hundred competition. Credit: Manish Swarup/AP

Alana King has taken the first hat-trick in the history of England’s Women’s Hundred.

Fresh from a gold medal for Australia in the Commonwealth Games last weekend, King had a near-perfect day with bat, ball, and in the field as her Trent Rockets team comfortably beat the Manchester Originals by 43 runs at Old Trafford.

King, who scored a quick 19 off nine, claimed four for 15 off 20 with the ball, and took a fantastic catch to round her performance off.

In Saturday’s later game in Cardiff an all-Australian partnership of 82 in 54 balls by Ellyse Perry (58 off 31 balls with ten fours) and Sophie Molineux (29no off 29) put Birmingham Phoenix on the way to a 19-run victory over Welsh Fire.

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In Manchester the Rockets had struggled with the bat in the absence of Australian captain Meg Lanning, who is taking an indefinite break from cricket, as they slipped to 43 for four after 40 balls.

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Abbey Freeborn led the recovery, top-scoring with an unbeaten 45 off 38 balls. Aided by King’s aggressive 19, including the only sixes of the innings - she dragged the Rockets to what looked an under par 5-119.

Recently retired former South African international Lizelle Lee got the Originals off to the perfect start, hitting the first ball of the chase for six. She followed that up with two more fours to take 14 from Katherine Brunt’s opening set of five.

However, after Lamb was bowled by Katherine Bryce for zero the innings faltered.

With the score 4-45 King’s historic hat-trick ended any chance of a recovery. Cordelia Griffith was bowled for 12, then Sophie Ecclestone trapped LBW first ball. With the crowd anticipating history, Cross was bowled to complete the hat-trick with a jubilant King wheeling away in celebration.

King’s near-perfect day wasn’t over either, as she took an excellent catch diving forward to dismiss Ami Campbell off fellow leg spinner Glenn for 13.

From there the Originals innings petered out, finishing in disappointing fashion with a run out to leave them with a heavy 43-run defeat.

Before the Perry-Molineux partnership New Zealand’s Sophie Devine launched Phoenix ‘s innings with 48 off 25 balls. They finished on 5-161, the second highest total in the history of the Hundred’s women’s competition.

Fire began well enough, England’s Tammy Beaumont (39 off 34) leading the charge with a 47-run opening partnership with West Indies’ Hayley Matthews (20 off 15), followed by an injection of quick runs from Rachel Haynes (14 off seven).

But though Aussie team-mate Annabel Sutherland cracked 34 off 20 Fire could only make 5-142.

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