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.

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*)