McGrath reaches 300 wickets during hat-trick

PERTH - Glenn McGrath became only the third Australian to reach 300 Test wickets during the middle leg of a remarkable hat-trick against the West Indies in the second Test here today.

McGrath reached 299 when he had Sherwin Campbell caught at first slip by Ricky Ponting in his fifth over of the morning.

He then reached the 300 milestone the next ball when star batsman Brian Lara was caught at fourth slip by Stuart MacGill.

To cap a stunning over, McGrath then had Windies captain Jimmy Adams caught at short leg by Justin Langer with the very next ball, leaving the tourists reeling at 4-19.

It was just the 10th hat-trick by an Australian in Test matches and the first since Shane Warne completed the feat against England in Melbourne in 1994-95.

McGrath became the 16th bowler to reach the 300 milestone, just two weeks after South African Allan Donald did the same against New Zealand. The New South Welshman took the wickets in his 64th Test - placing him sixth in line in the race to 300.

Former Australian great Dennis Lillee was the fastest with 56 Tests, ahead of Richard Hadlee (61), Malcolm Marshall (61), Warne (63) and Donald (63).