Watch: Australian leg-spinner Cameron Boyce became the first bowler to take four wickets in four balls in the Big Bash League, achieving the feat on his way to a five-wicket haul in the BBL 2021/22 fixture between Melbourne Renegades and Sydney Thunder.

The 32-year-old, who played seven T20Is for Australia between 2014 and 2016, dismissed four Thunder batters in four consecutive balls spread across two overs at the MCG, finishing with figures of 4-0-21-5, his best returns in the format.

Operating as the fifth bowler, Boyce was introduced after the sixth over with Thunder cruising at 75-0. Off the last ball of his first over, he dismissed Alex Hales, who holed out to long-off to be the first wicket to fall. Back on for the eight over, Boyce orchestrated a remarkable collapse with three wickets off his next three balls.

He began by drawing Jason Sangha out of his crease and having him stumped, and had Alex Ross lbw after the batter tried a reverse sweep first up, but couldn’t connect. The wicket made Boyce the seventh to take a hat-trick in the BBL, joining Gurinder Sandhu from this season, but he wasn’t done yet.

Off the next ball, he trapped Daniel Sams plumb in front of the stumps, making it four and four, becoming the tenth bowler to claim a double hat-trick in men’s T20s. Last year, Ireland’s Curtis Campher achieved the feat during the T20 World Cup, with Indian domestic bowler Darshan Nalkande joining the list later in 2021.

Boyce ended with the best figures for Renegades in BBL history, also snaring Matthew Gilkes with the first ball of his third over. Thunder still managed 170-8 in 20 overs, eventually winning the game by one run to end third on the points table. Renegades, with their second loss in two nights, continue to stay at the bottom of the pile.

Watch the Boyce double hat-trick here:

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