Hasan Ali: Birmingham Bears bowler backs fitness for first T20 hat-trick

Against the Falcons at Edgbaston, Hasan removed both David Lloyd and Martin Andersson in the space of four balls in his first over.

Brought back to bowl the 17th over, he had Ross Whiteley caught by George Garton for 50 before the same combination removed Alex Thomson for a first-ball duck. It left Ben Aitchison to face the hat-trick ball.

“When I got two wickets I spoke with Tom Latham and we were making plans for the next ball,” Hasan said.

“He (Aitchison) was standing on the leg side and I said I should go for the yorker and it succeeded and I got my first hat-trick in T20.”

With the first ball of his fourth over, Hasan bowled Pat Brown for his fourth wicket in five balls to bowl out Derbyshire for 141.

The 30-year-old, in his third season at Edgbaston, hopes to take the Bears to finals day after topping the North Group for the last three seasons but falling at the quarter-final stage each time.

“Bears have been playing fantastic cricket in the Blast over the years and there’s a small part we have to do to get past the quarter-finals and we’re looking for that this year,” he added.

Ali goes up against Ravi Bopara – his head coach at PSL side Karachi Kings – on Wednesday when the Bears head to North Group leaders Northants Steelbacks before a trip to Headingley two days later.