Brian Lara — The Prince of Trinidad's Records & Career
Brian Lara holds cricket's most iconic batting records: 400* in Tests and 501* in first-class cricket. Learn about the West Indian legend's career, his record-breaking innings, and his impact on batting.
Brian Charles Lara, born in Trinidad and Tobago in 1969, is one of the most gifted and entertaining batters in cricket history. A left-hander renowned for his high backlift, fluent wristwork, and ability to dominate bowling attacks when in full flow, Lara holds two of cricket's most extraordinary records: 400 not out — the highest individual score in Test match history — and 501 not out — the highest score in all first-class cricket. In 131 Test matches, Lara scored 11,953 runs at an average of 52.88 with 34 centuries.
375 and then 400 — the Test record twice
Lara scored 375 against England at St John's Recreational Ground, Antigua, in April 1994 — breaking Garfield Sobers' 36-year-old Test record of 365. The innings lasted 12 hours and 46 minutes and included 45 fours. Remarkably, Matthew Hayden broke Lara's record in October 2003 with 380 against Zimbabwe in Perth. Lara reclaimed it just six months later in April 2004, scoring 400* against England at the same venue in Antigua — playing 582 balls across nearly 13 hours to overturn Hayden's record. No batter has come close to his mark since.
501 not out — first-class cricket's ultimate innings
In June 1994 — just two months after scoring 375 in Tests — Lara achieved the extraordinary feat of scoring 501* for Warwickshire against Durham at Edgbaston in the English County Championship. The innings lasted 7 hours and 54 minutes and contained 62 fours and 10 sixes. Lara faced 427 balls. The innings broke Hanif Mohammad's 35-year-old first-class record of 499. To hold both the Test record and the first-class record simultaneously — in the same year — is without precedent in the history of batting.
West Indies' greatest era and carrier
Lara played for a West Indies side in gradual decline from the dominant era of the 1970s and 1980s. Often carrying a team lacking the depth of their predecessors, Lara produced extraordinary individual performances against the odds — including 153* in a fourth-innings chase of 314 against Australia in Barbados in 1999, often considered the greatest Test innings ever played. Lara's genius was most apparent under pressure, when West Indies needed him most.
Frequently asked questions
What is Brian Lara's highest Test score?
Brian Lara's highest Test score is 400 not out, scored against England at the Antigua Recreation Ground in April 2004. This is the highest individual score in Test match history. Lara originally held the record with 375 (1994), lost it to Matthew Hayden's 380 (2003), then reclaimed it with 400* against the same opposition at the same venue.
What is Brian Lara's first-class record score?
Brian Lara scored 501 not out for Warwickshire against Durham at Edgbaston in June 1994 — the highest score in all first-class cricket. The innings, played in the English County Championship, surpassed Hanif Mohammad's 35-year-old record of 499. Lara scored 501* and 375 in the same calendar year — both records in the same year.
How many Test centuries did Brian Lara score?
Brian Lara scored 34 Test centuries in 131 Test matches, finishing with 11,953 Test runs at an average of 52.88. He is the West Indies' highest Test run-scorer and one of the most gifted batters in cricket history.