Louis Kimber has produced one of the most astonishing innings in the history of cricket during Leicestershire's County Championship Division 2 fixture against Sussex.
The history books will read that Sussex came away with an 18-run victory at Hove, yet all that will be remembered are the 176 minutes that were spent at the crease by the relatively-unheard-of 27-year-old.
Kimber went into the match with a batting average of 24.65 from 46 innings, his highest score being 104, but he will forever be known as the answer to a quiz question after his performance on Wednesday.
Arriving at the crease with his team on 144-6, Kimber only put on an 11-run seventh-wicket partnership with Wiann Mulder, but that was quickly forgotten as he put on a 239-run knock for the eighth wicket alongside Ben Cox.
However, his partner would contribute just the 34 runs off 82 balls, with the wicket-keeper playing second fiddle to Kimber as he began to cause a stir at the ground and on social media.
LOUIS KIMBER HAS TAKEN 43 OFF AN OVER pic.twitter.com/kQ4cLUhKN9
β Vitality County Championship (@CountyChamp) June 26, 2024
Robinson goes for record-breaking over
Before lunch, Ollie Robinson - who has 76 wickets in an England shirt - was on the receiving end of the worst over ever recorded by a bowler in history.
The pace bowler produced three no-balls - all of which were hit for six - and there were eight successive boundaries before the anti-climax of a single off the final delivery.
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β Leicestershire Foxes π¦ (@leicsccc) June 26, 2024
43 runs from one over. Louis Kimber. π pic.twitter.com/yD8pzTa36R
The records don't stop...
By the end of the opening session, Kimber had posted the most runs ever scored before lunch in a County Championship fixture, making 191.
Next on the list was reaching his double hundred, which came in 100 balls and marked the fastest-ever 200 in the history of the County Championship.
Before today, Ben Stokes held the record for the most sixes ever in a County Championship with 18. On Wednesday, Kimber hit 21 off his 127 deliveries.
Furthermore, it was also the highest-ever score achieved by a batsmen at eight or lower, but the innings ended on a sour note for Kimber.
Sussex win the most incredible cricket match.
β Vitality County Championship (@CountyChamp) June 26, 2024
Louis Kimber is bowled for 243 as Leicestershire are all out 18 runs short of their record target. pic.twitter.com/7cgGpPOy1i
He was the last man out, being clean bowled by Nathan McAndrew, as Sussex somehow concluded a chaotic period on top.
Darren Plant
