Ollie Robinson bowls most expensive over in County Championship history

England fast bowler Ollie Robinson has etched his name into cricket’s history books with one of the most unwanted records.

England’s Ollie Robinson was smashed for 43 runs in the most expensive over in the history of the English County Championship as batter Louis Kimber rewrote the record books.

Sussex paceman Robinson was struck for two sixes, six fours - three of which were off no-balls - and a single by Leicestershire’s Kimber in the fourth and final day of their Division Two match.

Get on board Kayo and watch every game of every round of the NRL + AFL Seasons live and ad break free during play. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >

Surrey’s Alex Tudor conceded 38 runs in an over in 1998, of which Lancashire’s Andrew Flintoff hit 34.

That mark was equalled earlier this week when England spinner Shoaib Bashir conceded 38 runs while bowling for Worcestershire against Surrey, with fellow international Dan Lawrence doing most of the damage.

Robinson made history ... unwanted history but history nonetheless. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)

Kimber, batting at number eight, plundered 243 runs off just 127 balls to take Leicestershire to the brink of an astonishing win but he was bowled by Nathan McAndrew with his side agonisingly short of their target as Sussex won by 18 runs.

The 27-year-old’s double-hundred came off just 100 balls, making it the second-fastest in first-class cricket history.

He also hit 21 sixes, breaking England Test captain Ben Stokes’s Championship record of 17 set in a match in 2022.

Every Sussex player congratulated Kimber while his teammates and the backroom teams from both sides formed a guard of honour as he walked off to a standing ovation.

Robinson and Sussex got the last laugh. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

He had only hit one first-class century previously and averages less than 30 even after his memorable innings at Hove, on England’s south coast, but he produced an uninhibited exhibition of power and timing.

“You don’t get many days like that in your career, it was unbelievable really,” said Kimber. “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.”

He added: “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.”