Terrific Tye snares another hat-trick

Andrew Tye has claimed a remarkable third Twenty20 hat-trick in 2017 – and his second this year in the KFC Big Bash League – as the Perth Scorchers’ paceman dismantled the Sydney Sixers at the SCG.

The 31-year-old, recognised as one of the leading death bowlers in the competition, removed Sean Abbott, Steve O’Keefe and Daniel Sams in consecutive deliveries to end the Sixers’ innings in style on Saturday.

After a 48-run stand with O’Keefe, Abbott (23) was dismissed when he presented a chance to Mitchell Johnson at point before O’Keefe (23) was caught by Jhye Richardson at deep square leg.

Sams was then trapped lbw for a first-ball duck, marking a frenetic finish to the Sixers’ innings as they were bowled out for 132 in 18.4 overs.

The triple strike gave the right-armer figures of 4-21 from 3.4 overs in his team’s tournament opener.

Tye claimed just the second hat-trick in the competition’s history against the Brisbane Heat in January, with Xavier Doherty the first to achieve the feat for the Hobart Hurricanes in 2012-13.

That time, Tye was unaware he'd taken a hat-trick. On Saturday, it was a very different story.

“It’s pretty special,” Tye said post match.

“The first one (in BBL06), I didn’t even know I had got it, the second one was pretty special on debut in IPL and today being the first game of the year for the Scorchers for BBL07.”

Tye’s flurry of wickets came at exactly the right time for the Scorchers with Sixers Abbott and O’Keefe stringing together a much-needed 48-run stand before the Scorchers quick struck.

“Abbott and O’Keefe were starting to get away from us so to get those two, first and foremost was pretty important," Tye said.

“It helped kept their total to under 150, so they were pretty important wickets.”

In April, the T20 specialist also completed a hat-trick for the Gujarat Lions in the Indian Premier League against Rising Pune Supergiant.

Tye has represented Australia seven times at T20I level, the last coming in October against India, and has six wickets at 38 apiece at national level.

While much was made of the long list of unavailable Scorchers in the build up to the match, the most successful team in the BBL’s history underlined their depth with Tye, Johnson (2-28), Richardson (2-28) and David Willey (2-35) forming a devastating combination.

Richardson, who was man of the match in last season’s final against the Sixers, removed opposition openers Jason Roy and Daniel Hughes cheaply to get his team off to a flyer.

When the Scorchers’ international import Willey sent down a stunning delivery that penetrated the defence of experienced allrounder Johan Botha, the Sixers were languishing at 5-46 in the seventh over.

Nic Maddinson (31) was the best of the Sixers’ batsmen, while O’Keefe and Abbott put on 48 for the eighth-wicket before Tye took centre stage.

The Scorchers are fielding a below-strength line-up, with Cameron Bancroft, Shaun Marsh and Mitchell Marsh all on Test duty, while Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Cameron Green, Sam Whiteman (all injured) and Michael Klinger (personal reasons) are also sidelined.

The match is the first of a Saturday double-header, with the Melbourne Renegades to tackle the Brisbane Heat at Etihad Stadium.