[Ads-l] Antedating "hat trick" (three wickets in cricket)

[dave@wilton.net]

Not quite "hat trick," but there is this precursor from a few years earlier:
 
“Cricketer’s Register.” Bell’s Life in London and Sporting Chronicle (London), 12 September 1858, 3. Gale News Vault.
 
"The next four wickets fell to H. Stephenson without troubling the scorers; he took three wickets in three successive balls, entitling himself to a new hat, which was presented to him by the Eleven."
 
[ https://www.wordorigins.org/big-list-entries/hat-trick ]( https://www.wordorigins.org/big-list-entries/hat-trick ) 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: "ADSGarson O'Toole" <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM>
Sent: Sunday, August 18, 2024 5:30pm
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: [ADS-L] Antedating "hat trick" (three wickets in cricket)



A friend asked me to explore the origin of "hat trick" in the sports
domain. The Oxford English Dictionary lists the magic trick sense of
"hat trick" and presents an excellent 1840 citation. Next, the OED
describes the cricket sense of "hat trick":

[Begin OED excerpt]
2.a. Cricket. A feat accomplished by a bowler in taking three wickets
with three successive balls.
Originally with reference to the reward of a new hat, or an equivalent
prize, given to the bowler by his club for the achievement.
[End OED excerpt]

The OED presents an 1868 citation for "hat trick" in the cricket
domain. Below is an 1865 citation. This citation is already mentioned
in the pertinent Wikipedia article.

Date: June 23, 1865
Newspaper: The Chelmsford Chronicle
Newspaper Location: Essex, England
Section: Supplement to the Chelmsford Chronicle
Article: Cricket: Grays v Romford
Quote Page 9, Column 6
Database: Newspapers.com

https://www.newspapers.com/article/essex-chronicle-hat-trick/153552692/

[Begin excerpt]
When the fourth wicket went down for 60 the excitement was intense.
Grays, however, had yet a man equal for the occasion, and Mr. Biddel
going on at W. Sackett's end, with his second ball bowled the Romford
leviathan, Mr. Beauchamp, and afterwards performed the hat trick by
getting three wickets in the over.
[End excerpt]

Garson

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