“Records are there to be broken,” Sobers observed when asked how he felt when Lara eclipsed his world record Test score of 365. Of course, some last a lot longer than others – that famous 365, for instance, which endured so long that it became part of our mental furniture. For a while we missed its memorable ring – one run for each day of the year – until Lara’s 375 in turn sank into our collective consciousness. Of course, it did not stay there very long. For every Test match played in 1958 ten are now played, so quite soon Matthew Hayden of Australia overtook Lara only to have Lara quickly snatch the record back when he became the first batsman to score 400 in a Test.
Are there any sporting records that will last forever? It seemed that Bob Beamon’s Olympic leap