Henry Crocombe Takes Second Hat-Trick In 8 Days As Essex Collapse

Henry Crocombe Takes Second Hat-Trick In 8 Days As Essex Collapse (Sussex seamer Henry Crocombe)

Sussex seamer Henry Crocombe achieved the remarkable feat of a second hat-trick in just eight days as Essex collapsed spectacularly in English cricket's first-class County Championship on Thursday.

The 24-year-old had never before taken three wickets with successive balls at senior level until running through Somerset's tail at Hove last week.

But the England prospect repeated a feat many bowlers never manage even once in a professional career as he helped reduce hosts Essex from 171-3 to 177 all out on the second day of four in a First Division clash at Chelmsford.

In all, Crocombe took five wickets in 14 deliveries without conceding a run as he finished with figures of 5-39 in 9.5 overs

His spectacular haul started when he had top-order batsman Charlie Allison lbw for 56.

But it was Crocombe's ninth over of the innings that yielded a hat-trick.

South African Test spinner Simon Harmer and Zaman Akhter were both lbw to the first two balls before Dutch international Shane Snater lost his leg stump to the third.

Crocombe completed his five-wicket haul by bowling No. 11 Jamie Porter for one of four ducks in Essex's first innings.

Sussex reached stumps on 90-4 in their second innings, a lead of 188 runs.