Sri Lanka fast bowler Lasith Malinga took four wickets across as many consecutive deliveries in Friday’s third T20I against New Zealand at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
Malinga removed opener Tim Seifert and middle-order trio Hamish Rutherford, Colin de Grandhomme and Ross Taylor with deliveries three, four, five and six of New Zealand’s innings.
He finished with telling figures of 5/6 in four overs. The haul was the best of a prolific T20I career, surpassing his 5/31 against England at the same venue seven years ago.
The veteran right-armer is the leading wicket-taker in the shortest format of the international game with 104 in 76 fixtures. He is also the only recipient of two hat-tricks in T20I cricket. He took one against Bangladesh in Colombo in 2017.
The 36-year-old Malinga also claimed four wickets with successive deliveries against South Africa during the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean, when quartet Shaun Pollock, Andrew Hall, Jacques Kallis and Makhaya Ntini fell in succession.
‘I tried to bowl my wicket-taking balls and this is the second time it has happened, I’m really happy. No pressure in captaining and leading the attack,’ said captain Malinga on Friday.
Sri Lanka won the third T20I, but lost the series 2-1.
Photo: Gallo Images
