On June 6, 1994, Brian Lara set a world record by scoring an unbeaten 501 runs at Edgbaston, surpassing his Warwickshire captain Bob Taylor’s previous record of 499 set in 1987.
This remarkable achievement remains the highest total in first-class cricket, breaking Hanif Mohammad’s previous high of 499 runs.
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A Masterclass in Batting
Just two months earlier, Lara had achieved a Test record of 375 runs, highlighting his exceptional batting prowess.
His 501 not out was a combination of impeccable defense and powerful strokes. Lara scored 174 runs before lunch on the final day, hitting 62 fours and 10 sixes off 427 deliveries.
Despite early setbacks, such as being dropped by wicketkeeper Chris Scott at 18 and bowled off a no-ball at 12, Lara capitalized on these opportunities to dominate the Durham bowlers. His extraordinary performance not only shattered records but also left a lasting impact on the sport.
Warwickshire had signed Lara after their overseas players, Allan Donald and Manoj Prabhakar, were unavailable.
Lara’s record-breaking innings began when Durham, batting first, declared at 556/8. His historic knock helped Warwickshire salvage a draw in a match that went down in cricket history.
Beyond this remarkable inning, Brian Lara’s legacy endures. In 131 Test matches, he scored 11,953 runs, including a career-best of 400 not out.
His 22,156 runs and 65 hundreds in first-class cricket further cement his place among the all-time great batters.
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