Marnus Labuschagne produced a moment to remember in Brisbane as he claimed a sensational hat-trick to seal Redlands’ title win in the KFC T20 Max competition. The Australian batter, more known for his runs than his wickets, turned match-winner with the ball on Saturday against Valleys at Allan Border Field. Chasing 192, Valleys looked to be in the contest until Labuschagne changed the script. He first dismissed T. Morris, caught behind for 17, before returning in the 18th over to remove C. Boyce, who was caught near the boundary after a mistimed big shot. The drama peaked when Labuschagne rattled the stumps of the next batter to complete a rare hat-trick, sparking wild celebrations. His spell broke the chase and Redlands cruised to a 41-run victory to lift the trophy. Watch the video here. The hat-trick came only days after Labuschagne had smashed a century off 57 balls for Redlands earlier in the week. For a player who has been searching for runs and rhythm after being dropped from Australia’s Test squad, these performances could not have come at a better time. Speaking after his hundred, Labuschagne admitted that every run counts when you are trying to find form. “When you’ve been short of runs, it doesn’t matter where you score them; you just want to be out there in the middle getting that feel,” he said, adding that representing any team carries importance, whether it is his club, Queensland or Australia. Labuschagne had opened in the World Test Championship final against South Africa in June but failed to make an impact, which saw him lose his place to Sam Konstas and Cameron Green in the West Indies series. Now, with both bat and ball in hand, the 30-year-old is reminding selectors of his value ahead of a crucial Ashes year.
