The series between England and West Indies is remembered fondly for multiple reasons. A six-match Test series, drawn 2-2 at the culmination, would leave many cricket purists with their mouths watering. The series saw multiple brilliant individual performances from some of the biggest names of that era, but one player who stood out for a rare feat was seam bowler Dominic Cork, who became the first England bowler to take a hat-trick in Test cricket since 1957.

Cork’s achievement came in the fourth Test of the series at Old Trafford, where the Three Lions were coming in trailing 2-1, having been beaten by an innings in the previous Test in Birmingham. A hostile fast-bowling display saw them bundled out for scores of 147 and 89, with Courtney Walsh and Ian Bishop sharing 15 of the 20 English wickets between them.

Electing to bat in Manchester, the Windies were bowled out for 216 with Cork and Fraser picking up four wickets apiece. Brian Lara’s 87 was the only innings of note for the West Indies side. England started cautiously before a century stand between Graham Thorpe, who scored 94, and Robin Smith set the platform, on which vital lower-order runs took them to a total of 437, handing them a 221-run lead. Cork himself contributed with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 56 off 91 balls.

West Indies found themselves at 97 for 3 when Lara was joined by skipper Richie Richardson, and the pair went about repairing the innings. As Day 4 wore on, with the score at 159 for 3 in the first over of the morning, Lara and Richardson were primed to set the Windies up for a big score. Cork, taking the ball for the first over in the morning, turned the game around on its head, first having Richardson chop one onto the stumps while attempting to leave on a length, before having Junior Murray trapped in front, beaten for pace off the next ball. Carl Hooper was the next man to walk in, and found himself dismissed LBW, beaten for pace as Cork completed the historic hat-trick.

Cork’s magnificent three balls saw the Windies fall from 161 for 3 to 161 for 6. Despite Lara’s stunning 145, they were bundled out for a total of 314, leaving the Three Lions with just 94 runs to get. Atherton and debutant Nick Knoght got the Three Lions off to a cautious start before the skipper was run out, triggering a collapse. Thorpe and Craig White were dismissed cheaply, while Smith was taken to the hospital after a broken cheekbone off a Bishop short-ball, leaving the Three Lions at 48 for 4. However, John Crawley and Jack Russell held their nerve to take England home in a thrilling finish.

The hat-trick was the most prominent feather on Cork’s cap in a series where he was one of the stars. Making his debut in the second Test at Lord’s, he picked up a seven-wicket haul in that game, and followed it up with the crucial hat-trick which helped England level the series. He finished the series with 26 wickets in the five games he played, one behind Bishop at the top of the charts.

FAQs

FAQ 1: When did Dominic Cork take his historic Test hat-trick?

Dominic Cork took his historic Test hat-trick on 31 July 1995 during the second Test against the West Indies at Old Trafford, becoming the first England bowler to achieve a Test hat-trick.

FAQ 2: Which West Indies batters were dismissed in Dominic Cork’s hat-trick?

Dominic Cork completed his hat-trick by dismissing Richie Richardson, Junior Murray, and Carl Hooper in consecutive deliveries during the West Indies’ second innings.

FAQ 3: Why is Dominic Cork’s Test hat-trick significant?

Cork’s hat-trick remains one of England’s most memorable bowling achievements because it was the first Test hat-trick by an England player, helping England secure a famous victory over the West Indies in the 1995 Old Trafford Test.