In a warm-up match against Namibia ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024, Australia’s Josh Hazlewood achieved a rare feat by bowling a hat-trick of maiden overs.

(Getty Images)

With the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup just around the corner, Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood appears to be in excellent form. In Australia’s initial warm-up encounter against Namibia on May 29, Hazlewood showcased his prowess by delivering a superb four-over spell. While Adam Zampa grabbed attention with a three-wicket haul, Hazlewood’s economical bowling stood out as he conceded only 5 runs and claimed two wickets. His stellar performance contributed to restricting Namibia to 119 runs at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad and Tobago. Cricket Australia acknowledged Hazlewood’s top-notch display on Instagram, captioning their post, “No ‘warm-up’ mentality for Josh Hazlewood!”

Josh Hazlewood maintained an impeccable record in the first three overs, conceding no runs and dismissing both of Namibia’s openers, Michael van Lingen and Niko Davin, with the new ball. In his final over, the Namibian team managed to score four singles, capitalizing on a no-ball. Additionally, Hazlewood showcased his fielding skills on the last delivery of his spell, playing a role in the run-out of Malan Kruger.

Six Australian team members, including Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Cameron Green, and Marcus Stoinis, are still en route to the West Indies for the T20 World Cup. They were previously engaged in the Indian Premier League (IPL) while the remainder of the Australian squad departed for the Caribbean.

Facing a shortage of players, the Australian team enlisted the help of four coaching staff members to fill in the gaps during their opening warm-up match against Namibia. Head coach Andrew McDonald, national selector George Bailey, and assistant coaches Brad Hodge and Andre Borovec stepped onto the field as substitute fielders.

Despite playing with a reduced squad of nine, Australia encountered few difficulties in defeating Namibia in the friendly match. Following an impressive performance by Josh Hazlewood and Adam Zampa in the first innings, David Warner showcased his batting prowess. The seasoned Australian opener smashed an unbeaten 54 runs from just 21 deliveries, featuring six boundaries and three sixes.

In addition to Warner’s explosive innings, captain Mitchell Marsh contributed 18 runs, Tim David added 23, and Matthew Wade contributed a quickfire 12 runs. Their collective efforts enabled Australia to chase down the modest target in just 10 overs, securing a comfortable seven-wicket victory.

Australia’s upcoming exhibition match will see them face off against co-hosts West Indies on May 31 in Trinidad and Tobago. Following that, the former title holders will commence their T20 World Cup journey with a fixture against Oman on June 6.