South Africa’s Kyle Abbott picks 9 wickets in an innings to send records tumbling - Watch video

Abbott’s 9-wicket haul which helped Hampshire bowl Somerset out for 142 in the first innings, is the second best figures by any Hampshire bowler in first-class cricket

Former South Africa pacer Kyle Abbott ran through the Somerset batting line-up to register career-best figures of 9 for 40 in a County Championship Division One match at the Rose Bowl in Southampton to get his side on brink of victory.

Kyle Abbott picked up 9 wickets (Screen grab)

Abbott’s 9-wicket haul which helped Hampshire bowl Somerset out for 142 in the first innings, is the second best figures by any Hampshire bowler in first-class cricket. The record still stands with Cardigan Connor, who took 9 for 28 back in 1996.

Abbott dismissed India’s Murali Vijay for a duck in his second over and then got his second breakthrough in 9th over of the innings. There was no looking back for the former South Africa pacer as he continued to pick wickets in each of his spells.

Watch: Kyle Abbott running through Somerset

“As soon as I came back I heard all the stats. It is all nice to have. There was an opportunity to put them under pressure and we did – they have a Championship on the line.”

‘I made a lot of friends here during my last spell and it just felt like the right place for me. I’ve been comfortable for a long time, to be honest. I’ve always felt like Hampshire was a home for me. It was a pretty easy transition across here,” he said at the time.

Abbott’s spell gave Hampshire an important 54-run lead in the first innings. The fast bowler’s job wasn’t done. He came back to forge an important stand with captain James Vince when Hampshire were all sorts of trouble at 103 for 8.

Vince, who is batting on 102, put together a 73-run ninth wicket stand with Abbott to stretch their lead to 230 runs with 2 wickets still in hand.