Ollie Robinson was backed as a matchwinner by his Sussex boss – after a nightmare over which smashed records.
The England seamer conceded 43 runs in an over as Leicestershire, chasing 464, threatened a famous win at Hove It was the biggest haul ever taken from a County Championship over and included eight boundaries.
Sussex eventually held on for an 18-run victory and remain top of the division two table.
Robinson otherwise bowled well in both innings and is hoping to make the England squad to face the West Indies in the forthcoming series.
But headlines will be made by the over in which Louis Kimber hit 37 off the bat and there were also three no-balls, costing two runs apiece.
Robinson came back to concede just an edged single in his next over.
Sussex head coach Paul Farbrace said: “He had a stinker of an over, that’s the nature of the game.
“But Louis Kimber struck him absolutely brilliantly. It was fantastic to watch unless you’re on the end of it or you are the bowler.
“But he bowled the next over and he bowled it really well.
“That showed a lot of courage for me.
“It would have been very easy to have come off at that point.
“He has been outstanding for us in this game.
“He has been outstanding in the T20.
“He has got better and better the longer the season has gone on and he is winning us games of cricket.
“With him in our side we feel we can win from any position.
“We are thoroughly enjoying having him in our team.”
Robinson showed England form at times, especially early on day two with a near unplayable three-wicket spell from the Cromwell Road End.
Farbrace believes the hard-fought nature of the win can serve Sussex well in their quest for promotion.
He said: “We would have all loved to have won the game by lunchtime and been on the beach this afternoon with an ice cream.
“But in many ways you learn more about your team, we learn more about each other and you gain more confidence from winning games like that.
“We know we can hang in there and, even when the game is going away from us, we have still got the desire and the fight and the skill to help us get over the line.”
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