English batter Louis Kimber recently smashed a record-breaking double-century for Leicestershire against Sussex in the County Championship. The 27-year-old batter played a historic 243-run knock in only 127 balls in the second innings of the County Championship Division Two match against Sussex in Hove.
He reached his century during a spectacular assault on Ollie Robinson, hitting him for 43 runs off an over which included three no balls, earning Robinson the record of the most runs conceded during a single over of a first-class match. His century came off 62 deliveries and he went into lunch nine runs short of a double with Leicestershire needing 89 runs more to win in an extraordinary turn around.
However, Leicestershire lost Ben Cox and Ben Mike within three overs of each other after the interval, leaving Kimber and No.11 Josh Hull 28 runs to get for the last wicket. They got to within 18 before Kimber was bowled by Nathan McAndrew looking for a big shot, ending the possibility of what would have been an incredible victory.
Who is Louis Kimber?
Kimber made his first-class debut in 2019 at the age of 22 having played for minor counties previously. He signed his first contract with Leicestershire in May 2021 after finishing up a Master’s at Loughborough University. Having made a century for the second XI against Nottinghamshire early in the season, he made his debut for the first XI in the second half of 2021, where he made 13 and four in each innings against Kent.
He scored his maiden first-class century against Sussex in 2022 and, having made his List A and T20 debut the previous year, made his maiden List A hundred against Somerset in the One Day Cup in August 2022. In the final of Leicestershire’s winning campaign in the 2023 One Day Cup, Kimber hit 18 off 22 in Leicestershire’s innings.
