Brian Lara: West Indies' Greatest — 400* (Highest Test Score), 501* (Highest First-Class Score)
Brian Charles Lara is a Trinidadian cricketer born on 2 May 1969 in Cantaro, Santa Cruz, Trinidad. He is regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time and the holder of two extraordinary records: the highest individual score in Test cricket (400 not out vs England in Antigua, April 2004) and the highest individual score in first-class cricket (501 not out for Warwickshire vs Durham, June 1994). He held the previous Test record (375 vs England in 1994) before Matthew Hayden broke it in 2003, then reclaimed it in 2004. He scored 11,953 Test runs at 52.88 with 34 centuries. He played 131 Tests for West Indies. He captained West Indies on multiple occasions.
Brian Charles Lara was born on 2 May 1969 in Cantaro, Santa Cruz, Trinidad and Tobago. He made his Test debut for West Indies against Pakistan in December 1990 at Lahore. His batting style — left-handed, high backlift, pronounced trigger step forward — became one of cricket's most recognisable stances. He was nurtured in the tradition of West Indian attacking batsmen and came to prominence during the twilight of West Indies' dominant era, carrying much of the batting responsibility himself.
400 Not Out: Reclaiming the Test Record
Brian Lara scored 375 not out against England at the Antigua Recreation Ground in April 1994 — the highest Test score at the time, passing Sir Garfield Sobers' 365 not out. In 2003, Matthew Hayden scored 380 against Zimbabwe to break that record. On 12 April 2004 — exactly 10 years and a few days after his 375 — Lara scored 400 not out against England at the same Antigua Recreation Ground, reclaiming the record. The 400 came off 582 balls across 778 minutes. He also scored 501 not out for Warwickshire against Durham in the County Championship in June 1994 — the highest individual score in first-class cricket history. He is the only person to have held both records simultaneously.
Test Career and Legacy
Brian Lara scored 11,953 Test runs at 52.88 with 34 centuries in 131 Tests — second only to Sachin Tendulkar in the all-time Test run-scorers list at the time of his retirement. He was West Indies' captain during some of the most difficult periods of West Indian cricket (the late 1990s and 2000s, when WI was declining). His 153 not out at the Bridgetown, Barbados against Australia in 1999 — chasing 308 in the fourth innings on a wearing pitch — is considered one of the greatest Test innings in history.
Frequently asked questions
What are Brian Lara's two world batting records?
Brian Lara holds the record for the highest individual score in Test cricket (400 not out vs England in Antigua, April 2004) and the highest individual score in first-class cricket (501 not out for Warwickshire vs Durham, June 1994). He is the only player to have held both records simultaneously. He previously held the Test record with 375 not out vs England in 1994, which Matthew Hayden broke in 2003 (380), before Lara reclaimed it in 2004.