He knew how to exploit a pitch and in one match in the mid-1780s took 3 wickets in 3 balls. He was presented with a gold-laced hat for his achievement. By the 1800s it was the norm to give a bowler a similar gift for such a feat. It is the origin of the term ‘hat-trick’, now common parlance in most sports for an individual getting three of a kind whether it be wickets, goals or wins.
