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Cricket World Player of the Week - Mitchell Starc

©CWM

Mitchell Starc's hat-trick might have come against Netherlands, and in a World Cup warm-up fixture, but then, hat-tricks are rare to come by and deserve recognition even at the club level.

Mitchell Starc warmed up, and how, for the upcoming ODI World Cup set to be played in India, with a brilliant hat-trick against Netherlands on a rain-interrupted day in Thiruvananthapuram.

The match was cut short to 23 overs per side and couldn't be completed ultimately, but not before the experienced left-arm pacer helped himself to a hat-trick, proving too good for the Netherlands’ top order.

With 49 wickets in his last two 50-over World Cups, Mitchell Starc is already a veteran in this format and Australia's hopes of repeating their 2015 feat, or coming close to it, hinge on his able shoulders.

Chasing 167, the Netherlands were looking to begin unscathed but Starc had other plans. He struck with just his fifth ball by trapping Max O’Dowd LBW for a duck and sneaked through the defence of Wesley Barresi on the very next ball.

At the start of his second over, he bowled a searing in-swinging yorker to clean up Bas de Leede and complete the hat-trick.