Leicestershire’s Ackermann sets T20 record with seven-wicket haul

Leicestershire Foxes captain and Warriors Kolpak star Colin Ackermann set a new Twenty20 bowling record on Wednesday by taking seven wickets for 18 runs in his team’s victory over Birmingham Bears in the T20 Blast.

The off-spinner’s haul surpassed the previous record of six wickets for five runs set by Somerset all-rounder Arul Suppiah while bowling against Glamorgan in July 2011.

Ackermann, 28, whose previous best figures in the format were 3-21, took six of his seven wickets in two overs as Leicestershire won by 55 runs, and said afterwards that could not quite believe he had broken the record.

He took the wickets of Michael Burgess, Sam Hain, Will Rhodes, Liam Banks, Alex Thomson, Henry Brookes and Jeetan Patel.

“It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” he told the BBC. “It was a great all-round performance from the team to set the game up for the bowlers.”

"I think it's the first time it's really turned at Grace Road. I tried to use my height and get a bit of bounce.

"I wanted to get the batters to hit into the bigger side of the field and mixed up my pace.

"He added: "Never in a million years (did he think he would set a world record). I'm a batting all-rounder."

Wawrickshire skipper Patel said: "You can't take away from a great display of bowling. Colin's spell put them in the ascendancy."

Earlier in the match, Harry Swindells and Lewis Hill both struck half-centuries to help Leicestershire reach 189-6.

– Reuters, AFP