Play of the day: Hat-trick to open a match

Joe Leach celebrates his hat-trick.

English fast bowler Joe Leach claimed a hat-trick with the first three balls of a match in the Royal London One-Day Cup in England.

Leach's heroics still couldn't prevent his Worcestershire side from losing as they were bowled out for 105 chasing Northants meagre first innings total of 126.

Leach, 24, has played for Worcestershire since 2012 and his final figures were 4-30 as he removed Richard Levi, Rob Keogh and Ben Duckett with his very first three balls to reduce Northants to 0-3.

"I can't quite believe I'm stood here after we've lost that game," said Leach. "Obviously the first three balls were an unbelievable feeling. I never thought something like that would happen, but I'm a bit gutted at the moment at the way the rest of the game has gone.

"Cricket's a funny old game, isn't it? On some days you bowl six perfect balls and get taken for eight off an over. Other days you don't get it quite right and get a hat-trick. That's the way cricket works."

It's a hat-trick! Duckett ct gulley Shantry b Leach 0 Northants 0-3

— Worcestershire County Cricket Club (@WorcsCCC) August 2, 2015

3 ducks shortly followed by a swan! Brief delay as a low flying swan completes a few laps of the outfield! #whatnext pic.twitter.com/rY8UqZNMGp

— Worcestershire County Cricket Club (@WorcsCCC) August 2, 2015

Sri Lanka's Chaminda Vaas achieved a similar feat when he became the first player in Tests or ODIs to take a hat-trick with the first three balls of a match against Bangladesh at the 2003 World Cup.

Vaas struck again later in his first over while Leach had to wait until the 27th to claim his fourth victim when he dismissed Josh Cobb.

His batsmen couldn't deliver though as Worcestershire remain winless after four matches and sit bottom of Group A in the Royal London One-Day Cup.