On This Day: When Brian Lara smashed record unbeaten 501

On this day in 1994, legendary Brian Lara smashed an unbeaten 501 for Warwickshire against Durham in the County Championship in Birmingham.

Published : Jun 06, 2020 09:59 IST

Brian Lara poses after registering the highest score in First-class cricket.
Brian Lara poses after registering the highest score in First-class cricket.
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Brian Lara poses after registering the highest score in First-class cricket.

Brian Lara scripted history on June 6, 1994, by notching the highest score in the first-class history: 501 not out.

Barely two months from registering his record-breaking triple, 375, against England in Antigua, Lara smashed an unbeaten 501 for Warwickshire against Durham in the County Championship in Birmingham.

Lara owned the first-class batting record when he surpassed Hanif Mohammad's 499. The batting legend achieved the feat in 427 deliveries hammering 62 boundaries and 10 sixes.

Till then, Lara did not have a contract with any of the county teams for the summer but Warwickshire presented the Trinidadian an opportunity after its overseas recruits failed to turn out.

 

First, it was Allan Donald, who could not join owing to national duties and then it was India all-rounder Manoj Prabhakar who failed to recover from an ankle injury.

Warwickshire then signed a young Lara who went on a script a masterpiece.

Durham, electing to bat first, posted 556/8 dec courtesy a double hundred from John Morris. From then, Lara put on a batting exhibition.

 

Luck too played a major part as Lara, when batting on 12 was bowled off a no-ball and on 18 was dropped by wicket-keeper Chris Scott. However, post that, the southpaw kept surpassing milestones and became the first player to score more than 500 runs in an innings.

 

In 131 Test matches, Lara amassed 11953 runs slamming 34 centuries and 48 fifties with a highest score of an unbeaten 400.

In the 261 First-class games, Lara scored 22156 runs with an unbeaten 501 as his highest. He scored 65 centuries and 88 fifties.

 

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