Mitchell Starc destroys Western Australia in historic hat-trick repeat

MITCHELL Starc sent NSW’s heads exploding as he pulled off a stunning piece of history not seen in the history of Australia.

Mitchell Starc celebrates with David Warner his hat-trick bowling WA's Simon Mackin during the Sheffield Shield match between NSW and WA at Hurstville oval. Picture. Phil Hillyard

BE afraid, England. Be very afraid — because Mitchell Starc has just pulled off something special.

The Australian fast bowler stunned Western Australia in the first innings with a skittling hat-trick to clean up the tail. The 27-year-old fired in three successive yorkers to claim the wickets of Jason Behrendorff, David Moody and Simon Mackin as the visitors folded to 176.

Not something you see every day, right? Think again.

Starc repeated his first innings heroics with another hat-trick to clean up the remaining men in the West Australian order and win the match for NSW.

He fell just short of claiming the same three men twice in three days with No. 11 Simon Mackin escaping the paceman’s wrath and finishing the match not-out.

Starc’s ridiculous Groundhog Day feat claimed a rare piece of history, becoming the first man in Australian first-class cricket to snag two hat-tricks in a single game.

A double has only been achieved eight times in the history of international cricket, the last coming from Amin Lakhani in Pakistan 39 years ago.

The left-armer finished the match with figures of 4/56 and 3/41.

Incredible! Twin hat-tricks for @mstarc56 in the Sheffield Shield!

He's in sizzling form ahead of the #Ashes... pic.twitter.com/7Al5aCZXOL

— Cricket Network (@CricketNetwork) November 7, 2017

Mitchell Starc looks like a 22 year old playing in the Under 15s competition the way he has dominated the first two shield games.

— Rodney Hogg (@RMHogg) November 7, 2017

Omg Mitchell Starc has two hat-tricks in the same match what the actual hell #SheffieldShield

— Dean Bilton (@Dean_Bilton) November 7, 2017

Starc’s trailblazing performance comes just 17 days before the first Ashes Test kicks off at the Gabba.

HARRIS SPILLS REAL STARC THREAT

MITCHELL Starc is poised to do a Mitchell Johnson and destroy England’s batting line-up in the looming Ashes series, ex-Test quick Ryan Harris reckons.

Harris rates Australia’s pace battery of Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Patrick Cummins as superior to the one which ripped through England in the last Ashes series in Australia in 2013-14.

Harris teamed with Johnson, who took 37 wickets and claimed three man-of-the- match awards, and Peter Siddle when Australia romped to a 5-0 series win. Asked on Tuesday if the home nation’s current fast bowling crop was stronger than the edition of four years ago, Harris said: “I think so. “Hazlewood is doing the job I probably did and he’s quicker than me and he gets more bounce,” Harris, now a national performance coach, told reporters. “And you have got Starc who can definitely do a Johnson role.

“And you have got Cummins as well, so you have probably got an extra bit of pace. Cummins on his day, he’s fast as well.”

Mitchell Starc has an ace up his sleeve.

“Obviously we did a good job last time but the key is going to be just working as a team and a bowling unit — that is what we did last time well and obviously we got the results.” Harris predicted bowlers would decide the five-Test series which starts in Brisbane on November 23.

And he warned English spearheads Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad would be a handful for Australia’s batsmen.

“The ball moving around, it has obviously been well documented that we have had trouble with that,” Harris said.

“Anderson and Broad ... those two themselves can destroy games and destroy line- ups and they’re proven good bowlers over here.

“Anderson has got better in these conditions; it’s pacy, Broad likes the pace. “I think the bowling attacks will dictate the series.”

— with AAP