Answer: Cricket

The term “hat trick” refers to the scoring of three achievements, such as a goal, in a row. Although the term is found in many sports today (and almost all of them have some usually unverifiable story as to how the term came into use), the origin of the term in sports dates all the way back to the 1850s and the game of cricket.

In 1858, cricket player H. H. Stephenson took three wickets with three consecutive deliveries, a very impressive feat that wowed the crowd. They took up a collection for Stephenson, bought him a very fine hat with the proceeds, and the trick which brought about the delivery of the hat was coined a “hat trick”.

Today the term is still used in cricket as well as hockey, baseball, darts, lacrosse, rugby, and even table games like poker (eliminating three players from a table with one hand) and scrabble.