Schutt makes history with second white-ball hat-trick

Megan Schutt has become the first Australian woman to claim a one-day international hat-trick after cleaning up the West Indies tail in the third and final ODI in Antigua.

The Australian spearhead had bowled well without reward through her first 9.3 overs before striking a triple blow in the final over of the Windies innings, to have the hosts bowled out for 180.

First, she bowled aggressive allrounder Chinelle Henry for 39 with a slower delivery, before a canny change in the field – placing fielders on the ropes at long on and long off – achieved the immediate result when Karishma Ramharack plucked out Ellyse Perry on the boundary next ball.

With one delivery remaining in the innings, Schutt again produced a slower ball to deceive Afy Fletcher and strike the top of off stump.

In doing so, Schutt became the first woman to take two hat-tricks in international cricket, finishing with figures of 3-24 from 10 overs, including two maidens.

Her first hat-trick came in a T20I against India in March last year, when she removed opener Smriti Mandhana and captain Mithali Raj in the same over, before returning to dismiss Deepti Sharma with the first ball of her next.

"It was good to actually take it all in the one over," Schutt told cricket.com.au after Australia sealed a 3-0 ODI series win on Wednesday.

"It's kind of luck of the draw, it was the last over of the innings so you're either getting hit for six or getting wickets.

"I just hoped for the best really, I know my back-of-the-hand slower ball is effective on wickets that turn a bit so I just looked to take as much pace off as I could."

Schutt is the top-ranked bowler in both ODIs and T20Is, but until Wednesday it had been Perry dominating the wickets tally across the past few months in the United Kingdom and the Caribbean – although Australia assistant coach Ben Sawyer had predicted a bag was not too far away for the South Australian.

"Schutt puts herself under a lot of pressure to swing the ball and she’s doing that really well," Sawyer said in Antigua on Saturday.

"The fact that Pez is getting a few wickets at the moment is probably because Schutter is bowling so well at the other end and tying them down.

"But I’m sure she’ll also get amongst the wickets herself."

It’s the 11th hat-trick taken in women’s ODIs, while Schutt is the seventh Australian, male or female, to achieve the feat in one-dayers.

Only three Australian women have claimed international hat-tricks, with Betty Wilson and Rene Farrell – who both took Test hat-tricks – joining Schutt.

CommBank Tour of the West Indies

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Erin Burns, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Heather Graham, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

West Indies ODI squad: Stafanie Taylor (c), Hayley Matthews (vc), Reniece Boyce, Afy Fletcher, Chinelle Henry, Shamilia Connell, Stacy Ann King, Natasha McLean, Kycia Knight, Kyshona Knight, Anisa Mohammed, Karishma Ramharack, Shabika Gajnabi

One-Day Internationals*
*ICC Women's Championship matches

First ODI: Australia won by 178 runs

Second ODI: Australia won by 151 runs

September 11: Third ODI, Sir Viv Richards Ground, Antigua

Twenty20 Internationals

September 14: First T20I, Kensington Oval, Barbados

September 16: Second T20I, Kensington Oval, Barbados

September 18: Third T20I, Kensington Oval, Barbados