Wiaan Mulder and Kyle Abbott were the pick of the South African crop on the English County Championship scene this week.
Proteas all-rounder Mulder smashed 24 fours in a mighty 201-ball 156 – his second consecutive century – before his whirlwind 59 (nine fours) laid the platform for an innings and 28-run victory for Leicestershire over Glamorgan on Saturday.
A double century last week, followed by a century today ?
Wiaan Mulder is in incredible form ?#LVCountyChamp pic.twitter.com/N3dBrq7NPI
— LV= Insurance County Championship (@CountyChamp) July 20, 2022
5⃣0⃣ | ????? ??????? ?????. ?
An important knock, with Mulder gluing the innings together. The all-rounder reaches his half-century with a glance to the boundary for four.
LEI 181/7, trailing by 30. 11 overs remain.
?#CountyTogether pic.twitter.com/43I3k21NXx
— Leicestershire CCC ? (@leicsccc) July 23, 2022
Colin Ingram was no slouch in a losing cause as he struck 139 (18 fours and a six) before he was caught off the bowling of Mulder (1-103).
Proteas paceman Abbott claimed 6-76 that included a hat-trick in the second innings, for a match haul of 7-116, in a six-wicket victory for Hampshire over Gloucestershire in Cheltenham, with losing captain Graeme van Buuren notching 58* and 29.
A Kyle Abbott hat-trick has turned Hampshire’s game against Gloucestershire on its head!
Gloucs were 316-5 and cruising to safety, with Miles Hammond on 169 and Ryan Higgins on 62. Now they are nine down and leading by just 77.#CountyCricket2022 pic.twitter.com/iICy6xb7o6
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) July 22, 2022
? Kyle Abbott’s second innings:
1️⃣9️⃣.2️⃣ overs
5️⃣ maidens
7️⃣6️⃣ runs
6️⃣ wickets
1️⃣ hat-trickKyle Abbott is the best bowler in the world – I don’t do ifs, buts and maybes, I do absolutes ?♂️ pic.twitter.com/rgClqQGP2L
— Hampshire Cricket (@hantscricket) July 22, 2022
Simon Harmer starred with bat and ball, yet it wasn’t enough to prevent a six-wicket defeat for Essex by Surrey at The Oval.
The spinner finished with match figures of 4-134, and scored 50 and 38*, but Hashim Amla struggled and managed only 12 and 16.
Speedster Marchant de Lange bagged 2-38 as Somerset and Yorkshire drew in Taunton, while Derbyshire skipper Leus du Plooy contributed 16 runs over four days for a share of the spoils with Nottinghamshire in Derby, with Dane Paterson ending with 3-144.
Dane Vilas led Lancashire to a four-wicket win over Northamptonshire at The County Ground, where middle-order batsman Ryan Rickelton made up for 22 in the first innings with a quick-fire 59* (eight fours and a six) in the second.
At Lord’s, Pieter Malan struck seven fours in a patient knock of 64 off 152 balls for Middlesex in a draw with Sussex.
