Within a few weeks in 1994, Brian Lara set a new record for the highest Test score and then – astonishingly – passed 500, playing for Warwickshire against Durham. In the 1995 edition, Wisden spoke to some of the eye-witnesses.
The Coach
Bob Woolmer, the Warwickshire coach in 1994, is believed to be the only man to have seen both Hanif Mohammad’s old record 499 and Lara’s 501.
The 375 in the Antigua Test match was on a marble top of a pitch, ideal for batting. I knew if we won the toss we would make a big score and it did cross my mind it would give a chance of scoring another double-hundred in Tests. But it was only after the first day’s play, when I was on 164, that I thought it might be a big innings, maybe a world record.
The next morning I started carefully, playing out two maiden overs from Angus Fraser. I knew it was up to me. If I kept my concentration and didn’t do anything rash, I knew I had a chance of making history. I was not too tense. The tension only got to me in the early hours of the next morning when I woke much earlier than usual, and my mind was churning over what it would mean to me if I managed to score 46 more runs. My whole life flashed through my mind. I thought of all the people who had faith in me. I knew I couldn’t let them down.
The year before in Australia I was given a chance of breaking the record when I passed 200 in the Sydney Test but was run out on 277. That was the best innings of my career and still is. Most players never have a second opportunity. I knew I had to do it this time. The Antiguan innings was chanceless. I played a little sketchily on the third morning but I didn’t give a chance. The one that went wide of Jack Russell’s glove was a foot or so away from him. The 501 at Edgbaston was different in so many respects. The pitch was not quite so good but the outfield was faster. And obviously Durham’s attack wasn’t anywhere near as good as England’s.
On the Friday night I batted so poorly that I was bowled off a no-ball and dropped behind by Chris Scott at 18. “Jeez, I hope he doesn’t go on and get a hundred,” he said. At tea I went to the nets to try and correct the faults in my batting. It was unbelievable that both records should be broken in such a short space of time. The 375 was more important because it was in a Test match, but I will cherish both records. Test cricket is the highest form of cricket and to have broken the record of Sir Garfield Sobers in a Test in the West Indies meant more to me than anything I had achieved before. If only my father who did so much for me had been there to share the moment with me.
Interviews by Matthew Engel, Tim Wellock, Jack Bannister and Brian Scovell.
