A bowler must take a wicket with each of three consecutive balls. If he dismisses the last two batsmen on the opposing team, he may have to sit "on a hat-trick" for months...

Technically, a hat-trick must be three wickets with consecutive balls in the same match. The oddest hat-trick taken was that by one Mervyn Hughes (Aus) who took the ninth wicket of the first innings with the last ball of one over, the 10th (and final) wicket with the first ball of his next over, and a wicket with his first ball in the second innings.