Kyle Abbott rips the heart out of Somerset with a historic bowling display

Shane Warne or Glenn McGrath weren’t able to pull off what this South African bowler did as he wrote his name into the record books.

Hampshire fast bowler Kyle Abbott has picked up 17 wickets in a County Championship Division One match to help his side beat title-chasing Somerset by 136 runs.

South African Abbott took 9-40 and 8-46 to finish with 17-86 — the best figures in first-class cricket since England’s Jim Laker picked up all 10 wickets in an innings and match figures of 19-90 against Australia in Manchester in 1956.

The moment Kyle Abbott made history.

What a ball to do it with!pic.twitter.com/4cBwL7bayE

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) September 18, 2019

Abbott’s were the fourth-best bowling figures in County Championship history and dented Somerset’s hopes of winning the title with one match left in the season.

“It hasn’t quite sunk in. It is pretty incredible. Yesterday I didn’t think I’d take nine and I didn’t think I’d take eight today,” said the 32-year-old Abbott whose last test appearance for South Africa was in 2017.

“I reckon that is the best I can bowl. Everything I wanted to do worked. It just happened to be one of those days — it was incredible.

“When it started to reverse it got quite fun. We knew we had to get into their middle order and put pressure on them as 280 was a long way off.

“At 86-0 we were just thinking if we get one of the openers and the captain that was the goal.

“They were under huge pressure, they are young guys searching for their first championship; we had nothing to lose.”

The magical moment of wicket number 17.

The former South African quick had some fun with the incredible moment when asked if he was intending to spoil the party for Somerset.

“Would I prefer to finish third or spoil Somerset’s party? I wanted to spoil the party by a long way,” Abbott said.

@EssexCricket You Welcome.......

— Kyle Abbott (@Kyle_Abbott87) September 18, 2019

Somerset dropped to second while Essex moved top of the standings after beating Surrey by an innings and 40 runs.

Somerset are 12 points behind Essex and the teams play each other in the last match of the championship, where at least 16 points are up for grabs, starting on Monday at Taunton.

Kyle Abbott taking 17 wickets in the match for Hampshire on the same day Simon Harper takes 7-56 for Essex. Two brilliant performers, but a real loss to South Africa and international cricket, which is weaker for their absence.

— Tim (@timwig) September 18, 2019

Kyle Abbott has taken 17 for 86 for Hampshire v Somerset in #CountyChampionship
A 17-wicket haul in First-Class cricket after 15 years!
Best bowling performance in FC cricket after Jim Laker’s 19-wicket haul in the 1956 Ashes Test v Australia at the Old Trafford

— Sarang Bhalerao (@bhaleraosarang) September 18, 2019

Build a statue of Kyle Abbott outside every county ground except Taunton...

— Jonny Singer (@Jonny_Singer) September 18, 2019