Louis Kimber Setting New County Records

At 27, Louis Kimber delivered one of the most memorable innings in County Championship history, setting new county records. He scored the fastest double-hundred, reaching 200 in just 100 balls, hit a record 21 sixes, and set another record by scoring 43 runs in a single over off England seamer Ollie Robinson. The previous championship record of 38 runs per over, set in 1998 by Lancashire’s Andrew Flintoff against Surrey’s Alex Tudor, was shattered just two days ago when Lawrence took Bashir apart.

In the Robinson over, Louis Kimber (243 off 127 balls) scored a 62-ball hundred and continued to make a 100-delivery double century, which is the quickest in County Championship history. This feat beat the 123-ball score made by Aneurin Donald for Glamorgan against Derbyshire in 2016. Kimber hit a double century off just 100 balls on day four of the Division 1 match against Sussex. Kimber’s performance is second only to Afghanistan batter Shafiqullah Shinwari’s 89-ball effort in the Afghan first-class match between Kabul and the Boost region in 2017/18.

Record for Most Sixes in an Innings With Breaking Ben Stokes’ Record

Louis Kimber broke Ben Stokes’ 2022 Championship record with 21 sixes in an innings, surpassing Durham’s 17 against Worcestershire. What made it even more remarkable was Kimber’s record until today. He made his only previous century against Sussex in 2022 and averaged a modest 24.46, yet he cut, pulled, and drove the Sussex attack to distraction in an uninhibited display of power and timing, becoming the fourth-highest scorer by a No. 8 in first-class cricket.

Overcoming Challenges and Dominating the Pitch

Louis Kimber offered a difficult chance on 17 to Tom Alsop at slip, which burst through the fielder’s hands. Jack Carson nearly hung on to a ball struck with ferocious power over deep midwicket, which took Kimber to 150. Otherwise, Sussex’s bowlers had little success stopping his onslaught. Initially circumspect, Kimber scored 26 off his first 30 balls before a calculated assault on off-spinner Carson, whom he hit for 20 in an over, took him to a 37-ball fifty.

Targeting the short scoreboard-side boundary, Kimber forced Sussex skipper John Simpson to revert to his most experienced seamer. Robinson conceded four runs in his first two overs, but Louis Kimber unleashed in his third over, hitting two sixes and six fours, the fifth of which he cut low past cover to bring up a 62-ball hundred. Even when Robinson went fuller, Kimber made room to smash him through the covers before taking a single off the last ball to keep the strike.

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Relentless Assault and Record-breaking Runs

As the carnage continued, Louis Kimber added his next 50 runs from just 19 deliveries. In the penultimate over before lunch, Fynn Hudson-Prentice was taken for 20, with the session producing 216 runs in 29 overs. Robinson returned after lunch, but Kimber reached his double-hundred by swatting him over long-on for his 17th six. The stand had been worth 239 in just 27 overs – a new Leicestershire eighth-wicket record – when Robinson pinned Ben Cox with an inswinger, Cox having contributed 34.

With Leicestershire needing 29 to win and Hull, who averages 3.25, for company, 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. Louis Kimber’s record-breaking innings will be remembered as one of the greatest in County Championship history.

Also Read: County Cricket: All matches end in draws for only third time in history

Virat Kohli is one of the first-class batsmen India has ever produced. His records are in tons and his skills are phenomenal. But still, he did not make any big impact in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. In the first match against Ireland, Virat Kohli scored only 1 run, in the 2nd against Pakistan he scored 4 runs and against the new team USA, Kohli got out on a duck. Also, it’s not just Kohli who got in trouble while playing on the new pitch, other batsmen also faced so many problems with the pitch new pitch in New York. 

The T20 World Cup is not over yet, and King Virat Kohli still has some chance to make it count in this tournament, as all the rest matches of the tournament will be played in the West Indies now.

In this article, we’ll take a look at the top 3 white-ball knocks of King Virat Kohli In the West Indies

1. 3rd ODI, Port of Spain, August 2019: 114* off 99 Balls

In the third One-Day International of the three-match series in 2019, Kohli hit yet another amazing hundred in a chase as India defeated the West Indies by six wickets in Port of Spain. The Men in Blue were supposed to chase a DLS target of 255 in 35 overs, but thanks to Kohli, they were all out in 32.3 overs.

The right-handed batsman took the team to the target by storm, hitting an undefeated 114 off 99 balls. During his 127-minute performance on the crease, he hit 14 fours with a strike rate of 115.15 and India won the series single-handily with a 2-0. In the chase, Rohit was out for ten runs, but Kohli and Dhawan (36) put up 66 runs for the second wicket. Although Kohli and Shreyas Iyer (65 off 41) set the stage for India’s victory with a 120-run partnership, Rishabh Pant fell for a golden duck.

From the beginning of his innings, Kohli appeared well-prepared and reached his fifty runs off of just 48 balls. He hit two consecutive fours off Jason Holder in the 22nd over. With a single flip to deep midwicket, Kohli scored his hundred after hitting Roach for two fours in the 31st over. He celebrated the win with gusto, hitting successive boundaries with Carlos Brathwaite.

2. West Indies Tri-Nation Series, 4th Match, July 2013-  102 off 83

Against the West Indies in Port of Spain, during the fourth game of a 2013 tri-series that also included Sri Lanka, Kohli hammered 102 off 83 balls. Sent to bat, the Men in Blue scored 311-7 thanks to the hitting prowess of the No. 3 batter, who hammered 13 fours and two sixes in his 120-minute outing.

India got off to a strong start with Rohit Sharma (46) and Dhawan (69) adding 123 for the first wicket. Building on this, Kohli guided Team India beyond the 310-run threshold. In the 43rd over, the Men in Blue hitter amassed a modest half-century with a single off Tino Best.

As the Indian innings came to a close, Virat Kohli began to open up and quickly reached another hundred. He hit a back-foot drive off Dwayne Bravo to start the 48th over, lofting it over extra cover for a maximum. After two fours in the penultimate over, he blasted Kemar Roach. While attempting to chase Bravo, Kohli was out on the final ball of the inning.

The Windies were dismissed for 171 in 34 overs, failing to reach the revised goal of 274 in 39 overs, thanks to three wickets apiece from pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Umesh Yadav.

3. 5th ODI, Kingston, July 2017- 111* off 115

In the fifth One-Day International (ODI) of the five-match series against the West Indies in July 2017, India’s superstar Virat Kohli scored 111* off 115, one of his many tons of chases. With 79 balls remaining, the Men in Blue managed to reach their target of 206 thanks to yet another brilliant innings from Kohli, taking eight wickets.

As the Captain, the star batsman Virat Kohli hit 12 fours and 2 sixes in his innings. Kohli partnered with Rahane and they both reached a combined 79 runs, with Ajinkya Rahane scoring 39 off 51 balls and Virat Kohli still on the crease with 39 off 51 balls. After Rahane gets out Virat shares the crease with Dinesh Karthik scored 50* off 52 balls and reached 122 runs team total.

Kohli hit Ashley Nurse to the deep extra cover boundary to achieve his half-century off 67 balls. By snipping a half-volley from Kesrick Williams between mid-on and midwicket for a boundary, he scored three figures, his 28th ODI century. The right-hander styledly completed the victory for Team India by hitting a maximum off a flighted ball from Roston Chase over long-on.