Birthday special: Brian Lara – 3 record-breaking knocks
One of the legends of the game, former West Indies player and skipper Brian Lara will turn 54 on May 02, 2023. The left-handed batter broke and created many records in his exceptional and illustrious career. The Trinidadian is always known for his majestic inning of 400* in Test cricket but the legendary batter had also played some other great knocks both in international cricket and First-Class Cricket.
Let’s take a look at Brian Lara’s three record-breaking innings in his career:
375 vs England in 1994
Brian Lara smashed a mammoth score of 375 runs off 538 deliveries in 766 minutes, which included 45 fours against England at the Antigua Recreation Ground in St John’s in Antigua and Barbuda in 1994. West Indies batted first and posted 593/5d thanks to a brilliant triple century from Lara. His score is still the third-highest individual score in the history of Test cricket. He also broke Garry Sobers’ record of 365*, which he had scored against Pakistan in the year 1958. Lara faced the likes of Andy Caddick and Angus Fraser on his way to the record score.
400* vs England in 2004
Lara loves batting against England in Test matches and especially in Antigua. Ten years later, he haunted the English side yet again this time with a once-in-a-lifetime knock. The West Indies phenomenon became the first-ever cricketer to slam 400 runs in a Test innings. He scored an unbeaten 400* off 582 deliveries in 778 minutes with 43 fours and four maximums. He went past his own score of 375 and Matthew Hayden’s 380 runs knock to register his name in the history books. 18 years later, it is still the highest-ever individual score by a batter in Test matches.
501* vs Durham in 1994
The West Indian great has his name in the record books also for his outrageous knock of 501 runs in First-Class Cricket. Playing for Warwickshire, Lara slammed an unbeaten 501 runs off 427 deliveries in 474 minutes, which included 62 fours and ten sixes at a strike rate of 117.33 against in Birmingham in 1994. The score is the highest ever by a player in the history of both First-Class Cricket and Test Cricket. His side reached a mammoth total of 810/4d thanks to an unbelievable innings from Lara.
