#OTD in 2019: Kyle Abbott wreaked havoc to stun Somerset

Kyle Abbott (PC: Twitter)

On this day, three years ago, Kyle Abbott produced his absolute best to finish with record-breaking match figures of 17/86 against Somerset.  It was the finest performance by a Hampshire player and any fast bowler in the County Championship history. 

Furthermore, this was the best match figures by any bowler in first-class cricket since spinner Jim Laker took 19 at Old Trafford in 1956. 

Hampshire slight ahead in first innings

Batting first, Hampshire batters were rocked by multiple strikes against proficient Lewis Gregory. It was the superb knock from Liam Dawson (103) and support from Keith Barker (40), which paved way for Hampshire to finish on 196. 

In response to the chase, Somerset started off on a precarious note, with Abbott breaching the defenses of the batters with his accurate lengths. He continued to make further inroads and finished with figures of 9/40 and Somerset bundled out for 142. 

Kyle Abbott seals the game for Hampshire

In the second innings, skipper James Vince led the way for Hampshire with his solid technique to contribute 142 off 181 balls. In the lower-order, Abbott hit 25 off 66 to help Hampshire score 226 and pose a target of 281. 

Murali Vijay and Steven Davies were clinical to provide a stable start to the Somerset team. However, the 86-run stand was broken by Abbott after dismissing Vijay for 29, which opened the floodgates for Hampshire. 

Abbott took eight wickets in the second innings, which crushed Somerset to a total of 144, and Hampshire won the game by 136 runs. 

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