JAMES Hildreth etched his name yet further into Somerset folklore yesterday as he set a new all-time appearances record for the county.
Somerset's rain-affected win over Sussex in Hove was Hildreth's 624th Somerset match across all formats, meaning he has now played more times for the club than anybody else.
He marked the occasion by doing what he has done since his debut in 2003 - scoring runs.
Hildreth top scored with 81 in Somerset's 283-8, which proved enough as Sussex were reduced to 62-4 when the rain arrived, leaving the hosts 68 runs shy of the DLS par score.
The 34-year-old, who remains uncapped by England in any form of the game despite his exemplary record, was hailed by his Somerset teammates after reaching the landmark.
Unbelievable player. Unbelievable teammate. Unbelievable person. https://t.co/3GfwTm7ENb
— Tom Abell (@tomabell1) April 24, 2019
This bloke is a genuine 🐐🐐🐐🐐 https://t.co/Igtvtywahu
— Dom Bess (@DomBess99) April 24, 2019
Unreal achievement!!... @dreth25 has now made more first team appearances for @SomersetCCC than any one else... EVER, a record that will grow and most likely never be beaten!! Well done buddy ❤️ #WeAreSomerset #hildyhugs #hilly pic.twitter.com/I5Hqiv3gTY
— Peter Trego (@tregs140) April 24, 2019
Hildy bhai you are a champion 👏👏👏 well done https://t.co/BxB9lAgZwW
— Azhar Ali (@AzharAli_) April 24, 2019
Hildreth's current Somerset record stands at:
- First Class - 241 matches, 15,709 runs at 42.69 (42 hundreds, 71 fifties, HS 303*)
- List A - 204 matches, 5,495 runs at 34.77 (seven hundreds, 23 fifties, HS 159)
- T20 - 179 matches, 3,359 runs at 24.52 (one hundred, 16 fifties, HS 107*)
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