Tag County cricket

County cricket: Abbott haul sets up a title decider at Taunton – as it happened

Tanya’s county roundup Kyle Abbott produced one of the greatest performances in the history of county cricket to throw an enormous pancake over Somerset’s hopes of winning their first Championship title. At a blue‑skied Aegeas Bowl, he followed his nine for 40 in the first innings, with eight for 46 in the second – collecting 17 for 86, the best bowling figures for Hampshire and the best figures in first-class cricket since Jim Laker shyly gathered 19 for 90 in black and white in 1956. Somerset, left to chase 281, had launched merrily after reaching it 62 without loss. But a revitalized Abbott, now pitching the ball up, took the post-sandwiches ball and Murali Vijay swatted him to mid-on, From there, Somerset fell to 100 for seven. There was a brief respite as Abbott rested, but he returned to mop up two of the last three wickets to leave a shellshocked Somerset licking their wounds. “I reckon that is the best I can bowl,” he said. “Everything I wanted to do work. It just happened to be one of those days – it was incredible. It only takes one or two balls to think that…

Read MoreCounty cricket: Abbott haul sets up a title decider at Taunton – as it happened