Hill grabs opportunity with both hands

REACTION | Lewis Hill's audio interview with BBC Radio Leicester's Richard Rae is available HERE

Lewis Hill has grown up playing at Lutterworth so it was fitting that his maiden first-class century for Leicestershire had lots of connections with his local club.

Hill was coaching at Coventry Road yesterday morning when he got the nod to replace the injured Matthew Boyce, and his teammates took a moment during the National Knockout Cup match against Market Harborough this afternoon to celebrate his big achievement.

Hill said: “It was all pretty special. From not playing yesterday to playing today and to get a hundred – I’ll always remember it.

“At 11 o’clock yesterday morning I was coaching at my local club Lutterworth and got the call. I was picked up within an hour and on my way down to London. Lutterworth is where I grew up and I always like to see them do well, so to hear they were backing me is fantastic.”

Hill, who signed a new contract with the club earlier this season, ended on a brilliant 126 from 147 deliveries. He constructed his innings well and moved quickly from the 80s to a hundred, including a brace of sixes off slow left armer Zafar Ansari.

Despite the pace that he scored at, Hill was understandably nervous as he approached the landmark and paid tribute to colleague Ben Raine as he saw him through to three figures.

“The idea was to be positive. It is a good track and I tried to pounce on anything loose but still play nice and straight and respect the bowling. My heart rate was going quite fast in the nineties, but Ben (Raine) did a great job calming me down.”