Bears vs: Hampshire seamer Abbott still setting the standard

Hampshire pace bowler Kyle Abbott turns 38 next month – but he still sets the seaming standard in Division One of the County Championship.

joshstacey

2025-05-15T14:30:37.000Z

Hampshire pace bowler Kyle Abbott turns 38 next month – but he still sets the seaming standard in Division One of the County Championship.

Abbott continues to roll back the years and is the leading red ball wicket taker in the country so far this season with 23 scalps in just five matches.

And the South African – who took 55 Championship wickets last year, the fifth time he’s topped 50 in a season for Hampshire – arrives at Edgbaston in fine form having claimed a campaign best 5/57 last time out in the defeat at Trent Bridge.

That was a first setback of the campaign for the South Coast side – a heavy 366-run defeat to Nottinghamshire – following an opening round win against Yorkshire and three successive draws against Surrey, Somerset and Durham.

Abbott forms part of a dangerous pace attack that also features Scottish international Brad Wheal – who’s taken 17 wickets this term – and highly-rated 22-year-old quick Sonny Baker, who signed from Somerset last year.

And they’re supported by a resurgent Liam Dawson, who’s recently been called back into the England T20 set-up after a three-year absence from international cricket.

Dawson – who has 12 wickets to his name so far – enjoyed a standout 2024, which led to him being named among the 2025 Wisden Five Cricketers of the Year. He’s the first Hants player to win the award since Kevin Pietersen in 2006

Batting

Hampshire are missing the top-order power that had been provided since 2009 by James Vince after the 33-year-old renegotiated the final year of his contract to become a limited-overs specialist.

He’s been their best batter in the last decade…and his county already appears to be missing their batting talisman.

Hampshire have recorded just four batting points from the 25 on offer to date, with only Worcestershire (zero) claiming fewer points with the bat after five rounds.

Ex-Middlesex batter Nick Gubbins is Hampshire’s leading run scorer so far this season with 345 (43.12 average) and a top score of 117 when batting for five hours in a run-fest draw with Surrey.

Tom Prest 260 runs and Ben Brown 249 – including 162 against Durham earlier in the month – are the only other players with more than 200 runs to their name.