Kyle Abbott is a right-arm fast bowler and right-handed batter.
He was born in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and has represented his country in all three formats at international level.
Abbott began his career in 2009 and, after topping the domestic wicket charts for his home KwaZulu-Natal side, was soon selected to feature for South Africa A.
His performances continued to impress and in 2013 Abbott was rewarded with international debuts in all three formats. On his Test debut against Pakistan, he took match figures of 9-38 – the third best match figures by a South African in their first Test appearance.
The seamer would go on to make 60 international appearances for his national side between 2014 and 2017, a period which also included an ICC World Cup campaign in 2015. He claimed a total of 99 wickets at an average of 25.41 across the three formats.
Abbott first joined Hampshire as an overseas player in 2014 where he made a positive impression during a season-long stay alongside his international commitments, picking up 36 First-Class wickets at an average of just 20.33 in his debut season.
In January 2017 it was announced that Abbott had re-signed for Hampshire on a four-year deal and the seamer was crucial with the new ball in his debut campaign, taking 60 wickets at an average of just 18.20, whilst also averaging almost 30 on his way to over 400 runs in the lower order.
Abbott was instrumental again with the ball throughout 2018, making substantial contributions, particularly in the County Championship, where he finished with 51 scalps at just 23.17 apiece.
The South-African created history in 2019 claiming the best First-Class figures of any Hampshire player and the best County Championship figures since 1956 with an incredible 17-86 against Somerset – the fourth best haul ever recorded in England. Abbott totalled 111 wickets throughout the campaign, his best ever tally in a Hampshire shirt.
With the COVID-19 pandemic restricting international travel and ensuring a truncated 2020 domestic season, Abbott was unable to feature for Hampshire, but he made a return in 2021. The South African added another 46 wickets in the County Championship at an average of 21 and best bowling figures of 6-44. Abbott missed the final two games due to injury.
With club captain James Vince’s involvement in The Hundred, Abbott took charge of the team for the 2021 Royal London One Day Cup. Another nine white ball wickets topped off another incredible season for the South African.
2022 was another incredible year for Abbott, as he took 58 wickets in the County Championship, which was the most for Hampshire and second in Division One – just one wicket short of fellow South African Simon Harmer. He combined with Mohammad Abbas and Keith Barker to form a trio which took over 150 wickets in the County Championship.
The highlight of his season came at Cheltenham when he took a hat-trick either side of lunch on the final day against Gloucestershire to help his side to victory.
In August, Abbott signed a new contract with the Club, keeping him at Hampshire until the end of the 2024 season and he was also recognised with the Red Ball Bowler of the Year award – shared with Barker – at the End of Season Awards.
He added another 44 wickets during the 2023 season to take his Hampshire First-Class wickets total up to 367.
After Hampshire’s slow start to 2024, six wickets in the match against Nottinghamshire propelled Hampshire to a first County Championship win of the season, with five-fors against Surrey and Kent pushing Hampshire further up the table.
His contributions in the One Day Cup were crucial in seeing the side out of the group stages, with 4-48 and 2-48 against Middlesex and Somerset respectively aiding two important wins, but a narrow defeat in the quarterfinals to Leicestershire would follow.
Abbott would end the season brilliantly, with three five-wicket halls coming in the final three fixtures of the season against Kent, Worcestershire and Somerset. He would finish the campaign with 55 wickets from his 13 County Championship appearances, just one behind the leading wicket-takers Ben Coad and Jamie Porter with 56, along with 12 from eight games in the One Day Cup.
Another one-year contract extension would be signed in the off-season.
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