Kimber hits England's Robinson for 43 in historic over
Louis Kimber hit eight boundaries from nine deliveries in the historic over
- Published
Vitality County Championship D2, 1st Central County Ground, Hove (day four)
Sussex 442 & 296-6 dec: Alsop 81*, Hunt 65; Currie 2-28
Leicestershire 275 & 445: Kimber 243; Coles 3-95, Carson 3-99
Sussex (23 pts) beat Leicestershire (4 pts) by 18 runs
England fast bowler Ollie Robinson was hit for 43 runs by Louis Kimber in the most expensive over in County Championship history - but shell-shocked Sussex still clung on to beat Leicestershire.
Robinson was struck for eight boundaries from nine deliveries - three of which were off no-balls - by Leicestershire's Kimber in the fourth and final day of their match at Hove on Wednesday.
But even though the 27-year-old Kimber rewrote several record books with an astonishing innings of 243, it came in a losing cause as Division Two leaders Sussex won a thriller by 18 runs.
His was the final wicket to fall when he dragged a leg-cutter from Nathan McAndrew on to his stumps with only last man Josh Hull for company.
"You don't get many days like that in your career, it was unbelievable really," Kimber told BBC Radio Leicester. "It's just a shame we couldn't get over the line - but personally you have to enjoy days like that.
"My phone has been buzzing and the records I have broken are pretty cool. All the Sussex players congratulated me and told me I didn't deserve to be on the losing side."
Robinson's over is believed to be the most expensive in all first-class cricket when there was no compliance from the bowler (i.e. bowling for a declaration).
Kimber's feat is comfortably the most runs scored by a batter in one over of English first-class cricket.
Surrey and England bowler Alex Tudor conceded 38 runs in an over to Lancashire's Andrew Flintoff in 1998 - a mark equalled earlier this week by Surrey’s Dan Lawrence off the bowling of England team-mate Shoaib Bashir.
Robinson is hoping to play a significant role for England men’s Test side this summer, particularly after the retirement of Jimmy Anderson following the opening game against West Indies at Lord's from 10 July.
How the historic over transpired
Kimber hit five sixes, three fours and a single from the unforgettable over during Wednesday's morning session.
Only two of his sixes actually cleared the ropes - the other three came from no-ball boundaries.
In the County Championship, a no-ball is worth two runs, meaning the fours became sixes when he dispatched each of the three no-balls to the ropes.
Ball 1: Kimber pulls Robinson away to backward square leg for six (6)
Ball 2: Robinson is dispatched to almost the same place, but this time for four - and it's a no-ball too (6nb)
Ball 3: Kimber swats away a bouncer to third man for four more runs (4)
Ball 4: A second six for Kimber, pulling way over the head of the backward square leg fielder (6)
Ball 5: Another swat to the square leg area for four (4)
Ball 6: Robinson is cut to the off-side boundary for a fourth four in the over - and the second no-ball - as Kimber brings up his century in style (6nb)
Ball 7: Not a full connection but Kimber finds a gap at mid-on for four (4)
Ball 8: Another no-ball is met with a stylish drive through cover for four (6nb)
Ball 9: Kimber with another pull but this time finds a fielder so it's only a single (1)
You can watch the record-breaking over in its entirety here., external
Who is Louis Kimber - and what records did he break?
Kimber's previous highest first-class score was 104
Kimber made his first-class debut in March 2019.
Before this game, his best first-class score was 104 and he had only made two centuries for the first team, the other coming in 50-over cricket.
But he scored 141 off 120 balls as an opener in a second XI fixture against Notts earlier this month.
And, against Sussex, as well as breaking the Championship record for most runs in an over by smashing Robinson to all parts, he set other new milestones too.
Kimber scored the fastest Championship double hundred from balls faced (100), obliterating Aneurin Donald's 123-ball mark for Glamorgan against Derbyshire in 2016.
His 21 sixes broke Ben Stokes’ Championship record of 17 set for Durham against Worcestershire in 2022.
Kimber also holds records at National Counties - also known as minor counties - level, including the biggest score in their T20 competition, having made 162 from 55 balls, including 12 fours and 15 sixes for Lincolnshire against Northumberland in 2018.
He also holds the record for Lincolnshire’s highest score in the National Counties Championship - compiling 246 against Hertfordshire at Hertford in 2019.
Leicestershire began the final morning on 139-5 - still 325 runs shy of victory with just five wickets in hand - and Kimber was initially circumspect.
He scored 26 off his first 30 balls before a calculated assault on off-spinner Jack Carson, whom he hit for 20 in an over, took him to a 37-ball half-century.
Kimber's stand of 239 in 27 overs with Ben Cox (34) - a new Leicestershire eighth-wicket record - ended when Robinson pinned the latter with an in-swinger.
When Ben Mike lobbed up a simple catch to mid-off, Leicestershire needed 29 to win and Kimber had no option but to go for broke. His 21st six off Robinson sailed over long on but in the next over McAndrew had the final word.
Relieved Sussex head coach Paul Farbrace said: "He hit 21 sixes but it felt like 41 and I'm not surprised at the records he has broken. It was an exceptional innings - but our session after lunch when we took the last three wickets was top class."
