Ackermann's seven sets new world record

South African spinner Colin Ackermann claimed a new Twenty20 world record on Wednesday when he took seven wickets for just 18 runs in an English county match.

The 28-year-old, playing for Leicestershire, took the wickets of Michael Burgess, Sam Hain, Will Rhodes, Liam Banks, Alex Thomson, Henry Brookes and Jeetan Patel in his side's 55-run over Birmingham at Grace Road.

Malaysian bowler Arul Suppiah held the previous world record when he claimed 6-5 for Somerset against Glamorgan in 2011.

"It hasn't really sunk in. I'm sure I'll remember this game for a long time," the Leicestershire captain said after the visitors, chasing 190 to win, were dismissed for 134.

"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."

Ackerman's previous best figures in the tournament were 3-21. Having taken the opening wicket of Michael Burgess after bringing himself on to bowl the third over off the innings, the other six of his wickets came in two incredible overs as Birmingham lost 8-20 to be bowled out.

His incredible wicket-taking spree started in unusual circumstances when he bowled Birmingham batsman Will Rhodes with the bail only falling several moments after the ball had lodged in the gloves of Leicestershire wicketkeeper Lewis Hill. 

Hill had moved to break the wicket in an attempted stumping, and the third umpire was needed to determine that the bail had fallen just before the wicketkeeper's intervention, to confirm the bowled dismissal.

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

His bowling exploits represented a change in fortune for the Leicestershire captain after he had been brilliantly caught down the leg side by Birmingham wicketkeeper Michael Burgess for just four.