Herculean Simon Harmer joins illustrious company with 1000th first-class wicket

The tweaker started the day in Rawalpindi with three wickets in the bag already, then picked up three more scalps as the visitors skittled Pakistan for 138 on their way to an impressive Test win.

Harmer was visibly ecstatic at picking up the wicket of Mohammad Rizwan for his maiden Test five-wicket haul. Even though it's only his 12th appearance in Test whites since 2015, it's arguably been a long time coming, as he's picked up five four-wicket hauls previously.

But it was his sixth wicket that earned Harmer a place in the history books. The Pretoria native joined the 1000 first-class wicket club, becoming just the fourth South African to do so. Ahead of him are the legendary Mike Proctor (1417), premium paceman Allan Donald (1216) and a name befitting of the time he played in, Buck Llewellyn (1013).

It's been a road less travelled for Harmer. He began his journey with Eastern Province (later, Warriors) in 2009 and a plethora of wickets over several seasons earned him a call-up to the Proteas test outfit in 2015.

Despite 20 wickets in five Tests, Harmer moved into obscurity and opted for a Kolpak deal with Essex. He immediately made an impression and even considered playing for England. But he earned another call-up in 2022 and the 2023 summer.

Domestically, Harmer's efforts are Herculean. He is third on the list for the most first-class wickets in South Africa, bagging 453, just two behind spin twin Keshav Maharaj.  Over in England with his beloved Essex, he's taken first-class 514 wickets, the only player to do so since 2017. Hamer amassed 35 five-wicket hauls and ten 10-wicket hauls in that time.

One also has to praise the 36-year-old's longevity. Australian veteran Nathan Lyon has bowled a scarcely believable 55 790 balls since his first-class debut. And the man behind him? Simon Ross Harmer with 55 618 balls, the only other player with more than 50k deliveries in the format.