Louis Kimber hit Ollie Robinson for a record 43 in one over en route to a sensational double century, but Leicestershire fell 18 runs short of victory against Sussex.
The 27-year-old’s 127-ball 243 ripped up the Championship record books as he scored the fastest double hundred from balls faced (100), hit the most sixes (21) and the most runs in one over when he plundered 43 off England seamer Robinson.
Leicestershire were five down heading into day four and needed 325 in their pursuit of 464, with number eight Kimber leading the charge to almost guide the Foxes to an unlikely victory.
The fireworks came in the 59th over as Kimber scored 43 off Robinson to surpass the record for most runs scored in an over.
There were nine balls in the over, with Robinson overstepping three times, and Kimber struck two sixes and six fours, the fifth of which he cut low past cover to bring up a 62-ball hundred.
Kimber then smashed a fuller delivery from Robinson through the covers before taking a single off the last ball to keep the strike.
Surrey bowler Alex Tudor conceded 38 runs in one over – with Andrew Flintoff scoring 34 of them – in 1998, while Worcestershire’s Shoaib Bashir conceded the same number two days ago when Surrey’s Dan Lawrence hit five successive sixes.
Kimber hit 41 boundaries in total, with 21 of them sixes as he broke Ben Stokes’ Championship record of 17.
But he fell agonisingly short of dragging his side to victory when he was bowled by Nathan McAndrew with 19 more needed for victory.
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Ball 1: Hit for 6.
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Ball 2: A no-ball hit for 4.
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Ball 3: Hit for 4.
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Ball 4: Hit for 6.
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Ball 5: Hit for 4.
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Ball 6: No-ball hit for 4.
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Ball 7: Hit for 4.
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Ball 8: No-ball hit for 4.
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Ball 9. A single.
Kimber said: “You don’t get many days like that in your career, it was unbelievable really. It’s just a shame we couldn’t get over the line, but personally you have to enjoy days like that. It was good fun.
“I just tried to be positive and see what happened. I got a bit of luck here and there but you need that. Most of the lads have told me to remember it because days like this don’t come around too often.
“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. They were very gracious and over four days probably deserved to win.
“I can’t remember hitting the ball as cleanly as I did today before. I got into a kind of weird zone when I wasn’t thinking too much except trying to hit the ball where I wanted to. It was an amazing feeling.”
Lancashire cruised to victory over Kent by an innings and 83 runs in Canterbury.
| 4️⃣1️⃣ boundaries.
Sit back and enjoy a simply stunning display of hitting from the man of the moment. 🍿💥
Well worth 5️⃣ minutes of your time.
— Leicestershire Foxes 🦊 (@leicsccc) June 26, 2024
The Red Rose skittled Kent for 222 in their second innings with Will Williams (three for 26) and Tom Bailey (three for 36) starring for Lancashire.
The result means Kent remain at the foot of the table while Lancashire lifted themselves clear of the bottom.
Surrey consolidated their spot at the summit of Division One as they earned a convincing innings-and-five-run victory over Worcestershire at New Road.
Worcestershire were staring down the barrel of defeat as they resumed the day on 207 for five and still needed another 71 runs to avoid an innings loss.
Their battle did not last long as they were bowled out for 273, Jordan Clark proving too good with the ball with figures of five for 65 to give the reigning champions victory with more than half a day to spare.
Warwickshire’s Sam Hain denied Hampshire’s charge for victory at Edgbaston.
Hain hit 111 from 254 balls and saw out the final over of the match as Hampshire fell one wicket short of victory.
Ben Slater scored an unbeaten 168 to secure Nottinghamshire a share of the spoils with Somerset at Trent Bridge.
Nottinghamshire will gladly accept the 13 points which widens their cushion on the relegation places in the Division One table while Somerset remain third.
Dean Elgar chalked up his 50th first-class century to help Essex to a draw against Durham.
Former South Africa international Elgar batted throughout day four alongside Tom Westley to deny Durham the chance of victory.
In Division Two, Ethan Bamber ripped through Derbyshire’s middle to lower order as Middlesex earned a convincing 194-run win on the final day at Lord’s.
Bamber took three for six in 10 balls on his way to figures of three for 48 as Derbyshire slipped from 58 for one to 70 for five.
Henry Brookes returned to clean up the tail and ensured a third victory of the season to keep Middlesex second behind leaders Sussex.
In Cardiff, Northamptonshire were two wickets short of victory as their draw against Glamorgan went to the wire.
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