Dear Editor,
Recently I wrote an article on the 300+ Club. Since then I have been bombarded with requests to comment on Brian Lara’s astonishing 400 not out. As a Brian Charles Lara-to-the-bone fan, I pondered whether or not I should do so. After much thought, a bit of research and analysis I decided to yield to the requests. Please permit me to share my views with your readers.
Here we go. The West Indies under the captaincy of Brian Lara were facing an unprecedented whitewash at home. England destroyed the West Indies in the first three test matches at Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago to retain the Wisden Trophy, the symbol of cricketing supremacy between the two cricketing nations since 1963. West Indies were dismissed for 47 at Sabina Park, Jamaica, their lowest test score and 94 at Kensington Oval, Barbados. It is interesting to note that Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan were criticised for sporting with spectators in the pavilion shortly after the West Indies were dismissed for 47 runs and Matthew Hoggard got a hat-trick at the Oval. Surprisingly, Brian Lara scored only 100 runs in the six innings he batted in the previous test matches. He recorded two ducks in consecutive test matches. Steve Harmison dismissed him four times in those six innings. Harmison was selected to play in the final test. Lara’s credibility and captaincy were in jeopardy. The cricket-crazy Caribbean people were plunged into deep depression. It was Easter time and some posited that the Englishmen would crucify the West Indies. It was against this background, that on Saturday, April 10, 2004 the day after Good Friday, a day Christians commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ that captain Brian Lara won the toss and elected to bat. It was on the same strip at the Antigua Recreation Ground (ARG) where ten years previously he broke Gary Sobers’ world record by scoring an amazing 375 runs.
In the fourth test match the Prince of Port of Spain batted for twelve hours and scored an unbelievable 400 runs not out. In the process he achieved many records including: the first to score a quadruple century in a test match; most 500-runs series aggregate (7), equalling Don Bradman’s record; most 350 + aggregate in a test match (3) times; most runs in any twelve-month period – 1,949 between April 19, 2003 and April 14, 2004; highest score, 400 by a test captain and the only batsman to regain the world record. His score included 139 singles, 24 twos, 4 threes, 43 fours, 1 five and 4 sixes off 215 scoring strokes. Lara gave one possible chance at 293 which nearly took off Gareth Batty’s head. According to cricket author Vijay P. Kumar at the end of the day’s play he met Batty relaxing at the Jolly Beach Resort and approached him. Batty confirmed, “It was a top spinner. When he hit it I thought of catching it but it was coming too fast. All I could do is duck. It clipped my right thumb. I wouldn’t say it was a chance.” What would you say?
Lara’s magnificent quadruple ensured that there was no crucifixion and no whitewash. In fact, West Indian supporters in the stands boldly displayed their placards during the match – “No whitewash in Antigua, no whitewash.” The match ended in a draw.
It is apposite to note that Brian Lara achieved the following milestones off the bowling of off spinner Gareth Batty: 200, 250, 300, 350 and 380, when he equalled Matthew Hayden’s world record with a six in dramatic fashion. The ball went deep into the Viv Richards pavilion. It was high drama during the after-lunch session on Monday April 12, 2004 at the ARG, Antigua Here is how Vijay P Kumar described the next record breaking shot, “He moved across his stumps, then backwards, leaned forward to get his head over the ball and turned his wrists as bat connected to ball. The timing was precise and the execution was perfect. The ball raced to fine leg as he ran for that precious single, which turned out to be a four. Lara had regained his record.” Shortly afterwards Lara swept Batty to fine leg to record his 400 runs. In the history of cricket no batsman had gone there before. He moved from a Prince to a King. Wow!
After the record-breaking achievement, Michael Holding interviewed Brian Lara. This is what Lara said, “Back in June of 1994 when I scored 501, I did wonder what it would be like to score 400 in Test cricket. To get it today was really special.”
Sachin Tendulkar remarked, “A great achievement, a fantastic feat. One can’t plan an innings like this from the start. It just comes as you go along. It is certainly an inspiration for all modern batsmen.”
A limited few were a bit critical of Lara’s masterpiece. They said that it was achieved against a weak bowling attack on a batsman’s paradise. Geoffrey Boycott aptly cleared the air, “People may say that it was a modest England side, a flat pitch, a sunny day. But, we have all had good pitches to bat on and we all had nice sunny days and haven’t done what he has done.”
Many more titillating facts can be gleaned on Lara’s inning by checking out Cricinfo, reading “ 400 Not Out- A History of The World Record “ by Guyanese Vijay P Kumar and perusing “Lara – The Untamed Spirit.” written by his countryman Clifford Narinesingh. Anyway, I think that this is a good point for me to close my inning, virus or no virus.
Yours faithfully,
Clinton Conway
Assistant Commissioner of Police
(Retired)