England’s Ollie Robinson conceded a County Championship record 43 runs in an over as Sussex narrowly survived an assault for the ages from Leicestershire No 8 Louis Kimber to win an unforgettable game at Hove.
Leicestershire were chasing an improbable 464 to win a match dominated by Sussex. Kimber, a 27-year-old with a first-class average under 25, came in with the score 144 for six on the final morning and proceeded to launch a vicious attack on the bowling.
Kimber smashed 20 fours and a Championship record 21 sixes in the course of his 243 from 127 balls as he was last man out in a defeat by just 18 runs. He scored 191 off 92 balls in the morning session, which is more than anyone has made before lunch in the history of English cricket.
Robinson came in for particular tap, and ensured that the 38 runs (a joint English first-class record) his England team-mate Shoaib Bashir conceded against Surrey on Monday was quickly eclipsed. A haul of 43 in an over is five clear of the most by a bowler in English first-class cricket (overtaking Bashir and Alex Tudor’s shared record of 38).
Robinson, bowling over the wicket, dug the first ball in, and was hooked for six by Kimber. The second ball was a no ball (which cost two runs in English domestic cricket) pulled for four and the third was swatted over the slips for four more. The fourth was also pulled for six and the fifth pulled for four. The sixth, another no ball, was slapped through the offside for a four that took Kimber to a 62-ball century.
Four more followed through the vacant mid-on area before the eighth ball of the over, another no ball, was also sent through the offside for four to secure the record for most expensive over. The ninth and final ball of the over, this time bowled from round the wicket, was pulled for a single.
While the over is the most expensive in 134 years of County Championship action, 77 was once conceded in an over in New Zealand domestic cricket by Bert Vance.
Robinson was given one more over in his spell, which went for just one run, before being withdrawn from the attack, but Kimber tucked into the promising young spinner James Coles (taking 15 and 21 runs from overs he bowled) and Fynn Hudson-Prentice, who was hit for 24 in an over.
Leicestershire returned for the afternoon session seven down, still needing 89 to win. Robinson picked up the wicket of Ben Cox with one that stayed low then took a simple catch at mid-off to see off Ben Mike. Kimber completed the fastest double-century in the Championship as he continued to strike sixes cleanly but was last man out to Nathan McAndrew for 243, an agonising defeat for Leicestershire. The victory keeps Sussex top of Division Two.
The blitz comes at a bad time for Robinson, as he looks to shore up his place in England’s squad for the Test summer after a poor year. England are set to name their squad next week.
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