Broad takes his second Test hat-trick

Leeds: Stuart Broad became the first England bowler to take two Test hat-tricks and just the fourth in all after he struck with three succesive balls against Sri Lanka at Headingley on Friday.

The seamer, who`d previously performed the feat against India at Trent Bridge in 2011, struck with the final ball of his 12th over to have Kumar Sangakkara well caught for 79 by Ian Bell in the gully. And the first two balls of his next over saw Broad have Dinesh Chadimal caught at first slip by England captain Alastair Cook for 45. Next ball saw Shaminda Eranga caught behind by wicketkeeper Matt Prior to leave Sri Lanka struggling at 229 for nine. But because the hat-trick had been split across two overs neither Broad nor his England team-mates realised what he`d achieved until the public address announcer informed the crowd. Broad was only the fourth player in Test history to have twice taken a hat-trick after the Australian duo of Hugh Trumble (1901/02 and 1903/04) and Jimmy Matthews, who performed the feat twice in the same match against South Africa in Manchester in 1912 and Pakistan great Wasim Akram, who too hat-tricks in successive Tests against Sri Lanka in 1998/99. Broad`s latest hat-trick was only the second since his last one in all Tests following Sohag Gazi`s for Bangladesh against New Zealand in 2013/14.