Foxes Smash Highest Ever Total in Final Day Draw
Thu 14 Jul 2022
Leicestershire posted the highest total in their 143-year history, as records aplenty tumbled during the final day draw at Hove.
The Running Foxes amassed a phenomenal 756 runs for the loss of just four wickets, whilst Colin Ackermann and Wiaan Mulder both hit unbeaten double hundreds to smash Leicestershire’s highest ever partnership, a colossal 477-run undefeated alliance.
Resuming on 529 for four, Ackermann and Mulder continued in the same vein as the night previous, with the latter looking particularly belligerent.
The South African overseas star reached his 150 in some style, clubbing back-to-back boundaries, including a huge straight six, off Steven Finn to surpass his previous career-best score of 146.
By a similar token, Ackermann then brought up another impressive milestone to exceed his previous career-best total by four runs. A quick single taking him to his maiden career double hundred, beating his prior high of 196.
The two were perpetually rewriting the history books, with the press box scattering to dust off old annals detailing Leicestershire’s records.
The next iteration saw the pair surpass the 322 set by Ben Smith & Phil Simmons versus Nottinghamshire in 1998 to break the Club’s highest fifth-wicket stand.
Ackermann then went to his 250, an exemplary exhibition of concentration and composure. Mulder followed his fellow South African in reaching a maiden career double hundred with a speedy single off Delray Rawlins.
Later that over, Ackermann whipped the same bowler to the mid-wicket fence to cement the innings’ immortalisation in Leicestershire folklore. The boundary meaning the score surpassed the 701 accumulated against Worcestershire in 1906.
42 from the final three overs before lunch took the Running Foxes into the break on 756 for four, with Ackermann and Mulder unbeaten on 277 and 235 respectively.
It meant the two had obliterated the Club’s previous highest ever partnership of 436*, set by Darren Maddy and Brad Hodge versus Loughborough UCCE at Grace Road in 2003, as well as the County Championship’s highest fifth-wicket alliance of 401, set by Mal Loye and David Ripley for Northamptonshire against Glamorgan in 1998.
Lunch brought a somewhat surprising declaration from Callum Parkinson, but an unresponsive wicket necessitated the call if Leicestershire harboured hopes of taking nine wickets.
They managed just one, as Sussex continued to make the most of batting friendly conditions. Ackermann taking the sole wicket to fall, with Tom Clark cutting to Louis Kimber at slip.
Ali Orr hit an unanswered ton, while Tom Alsop finished on 60 not out, as the hosts closed on 200 for one.
The Running Foxes tried every tactic in the book, including throwing the ball to Lewis Hill, Hassan Azad and even wicketkeeper Harry Swindells, but no token wicket was to fall as the game meandered to a draw.
