'Astonishing' cricket moment that hasn't been seen in 63 years
South African bowler Kyle Abbott has stunned the cricket world with the best first-class figures in 63 years.
The Hampshire bowler picked up 17 wickets in a County Championship Division One match to help his side beat title-chasing Somerset by 136 runs on Wednesday.
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.
Abbott's were the best bowling figures ever for Hampshire and the fourth-best in County Championship history.
His efforts also 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,” the 32-year-old said.
“Yesterday I didn't think I'd take nine and I didn't think I'd take eight today.
"I reckon that is the best I can bowl."
Abbott was a Test star for South Africa until he defected to County cricket in 2017.
Under cricket’s Kolpak rules, players are no longer to represent South Africa if they play in the County championship.
As good as it is to have so much amazing talent from South Africa in County Cricket, watching the likes of Simon Harmer and Kyle Abbott destroy teams, when they could be playing for South Africa, is so sad. I don't blame them. I blame SA for mismanagement
— Jack Mendel 🏏🗞️ (@Mendelpol) 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.
Absolutely astonishing, Kyle Abbott's match figures of 17-86!! Doubt we'll see anything like that again for many, many years.#bowling #cricket #Hampshire #Somerset https://t.co/rexJt0jbrq
— Jack Fosten (@jackfosten) September 18, 2019
History made in England!
Kyle Abbott has just taken astonishing match figures of 17/86 for Hampshire against Somerset in the County Championship 🤯
They're the best match figures in first-class cricket since Jim Laker's 19/90 in 1956. pic.twitter.com/gGvfPw8U3L— ICC (@ICC) September 18, 2019
Kyle Abbott finishes with 17-86 for Hampshire against Somerset - the best figures in first-class cricket since Jim Laker's 19-90 in 1956 🤯 pic.twitter.com/QNVcnWFLwV
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) September 18, 2019
17 for 86 😲🙌
Kyle Abbott has bowled Hampshire to victory over Somerset, and got himself into the record books! https://t.co/GLfFNIJAbZ pic.twitter.com/tvZtyiNFZN— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) September 18, 2019
Best match figures in County Championship:
17-48 C Blythe, Kent v Northamptonshire 1907
17-56 C Parker, Gloucestershire v Essex 1925
17-67 A Freeman, Kent v Sussex 1922
17-86 K Abbott, Hampshire v Somerset 2019
17-89 WG Grace, Gloucestershire v Nottinghamshire 1877
17-89 F Matthews, Nottinghamshire v Northamptonshire 1923
with agencies