Argentina seamer joins exclusive club with rare T20I double hat-trick

Argentina v Cayman Islands, Scorecard

Argentina bowler Hernan Fennell joined an exclusive club of just six players when he claimed a double hat-trick during his side's ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub Regional Americas Qualifier clash against the Cayman Islands in Buenos Aires on Sunday.

Fennell picked up four wickets in four consecutive deliveries during the final over of Cayman Islands innings, becoming just the sixth player to have completed the feat previously in men's T20I matches.

The 36-year-old joins Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan, Sri Lanka speedster Lasith Malinga, Ireland all-rounder Curtis Campher, West Indies veteran Jason Holder and Waseem Yaqoobr of Lesotho as bowlers to have completed a T20I double hat-trick.

Fennell had Troy Taylor caught with the third delivery of his fourth over and then trapped Alistair Ifill lbw with the very next ball to reduce Cayman Islands 116/8 in their final over.

The Argentina seamer then dismissed Ronald Ebanks and Alessandro Morris with the final two deliveries of the innings to make it four wickets in four consecutive balls to complete the remarkable feat on his way to remarkable figures of 5/14.

Fennell also became just the sixth player in the history of men's T20I to have picked up multiple hat-tricks, with the Argentina veteran having previously achieved the feat against Panama in Antigua in 2021 as part of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Americas Region Qualifier event.

Malta's Waseem Abbas, Australia's Pat Cummins, Serbia's Mark Pavlovic, New Zealand's Tim Southee, Malinga and now Fennell are the only players to have picked up more than one men's T20I hat-trick.

Fennell's heroics failed to inspire Argentina, with the South American side all out for just 94 in reply to Cayman Islands score of 116.