Lara's record 400 leaves West Indies in charge

Tuesday, April 13, 2004

ST. JOHNS, Antigua (AFP): West Indies captain Brian Lara became the first batsman to score 400 runs and then watched his fast bowlers build on his hard work to leave England in tatters in the fourth and final cricket Test on Monday.

Lara reclaimed the world record for the highest individual Test innings from Australia’s Matthew Hayden and was undefeated on an unprecedented quadruple century to lead West Indies to a formidable first innings total of 751 for five on the third day.

Eager to finish a forgettable series on a high note, the West Indies bowlers, led by Tino Best and Pedro Collins, then ran through England’s top order batting to leave the visitors on 171 for five in reply with Andrew Flintoff not out on 37 and Simon Jones not out on 32.

Lara swept off-spin bowler Gareth Batty to the deep fine leg boundary for the 42nd four of his innings to overtake Hayden's mark. He had equalled the Australian opening batsman’s 380 when he lofted the previous ball for Batty for the last of his four sixes straight into the top deck of the Sir Vivian Richards Pavilion.

Lara ran the full length of the pitch, leapt and punched the air in triumph to celebrate his recapture of the world batting record. New Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer was escorted out to the middle to embrace the batting genius, who capped celebrations by kneeling and kissing the pitch.

"It's hard to believe - a great feeling," Lara said.

"It's been really, really tiring but I feel great."

Lara previously held the mark of 375 against the same opponents at this same Antigua Recreation Ground 10 years earlier and it stood until Hayden erased it against Zimbabwe at Perth last October.

Asked if Hayden had been in touch he smiled: "I didn't get that call yet but I'll check my telephone messages when I get home!

"I know he'll have been wishing me on."

After he and Ridley Jacobs, who diligently reached his own personal landmark of a third Test hundred, carried West Indies to 734 for five, Lara returned after the interval to sweep Batty in the same direction for a single to reach 400 before making the declaration.

Lara occupied the crease for nearly 13-1/4 hours and faced 584 deliveries to establish the new mark about 25 minutes after the lunch interval. He and Jacobs shared 282, unbroken, for the sixth wicket to put West Indies in command of the Test.

On Sunday, Lara had joined the late, great Sir Don Bradman as the only other batsman to complete two Test triple hundreds. The former Australia captain and batting legend also found England’s bowling to his liking and murdered 334 and 304 off them in 1930 and 1934 respectively, both at Leeds.

Left-hander Jacobs, who was bowled by Michael Vaughan no-ball when he was 87, spent nearly 5-1/4 hours and 207 balls over his unbeaten 107 that included eight fours and three sixes.

With Matthew Hoggard off the field with an upset tummy and Steve Harmison removed from the attack for treading on the protected area of the pitch, England’s efforts to knock over either Lara or Jacobs were severely hampered.

Batty with two wickets for 185 runs from 52 overs was the most successful England bowler. Harmison, Andrew Flintoff and Simon Jones were the other wicket-takers.

In response, England again lost opening batsmen Vaughan and Marcus Trescothick cheaply and were 48 for two at tea.

Vaughan went to a dubious umpiring decision from Pakistani Aleem Dar, caught behind off Pedro Collins for seven. Television replays suggested that the ball touched nothing on its way through to Jacobs.

Just when it appeared Trescothick might be settling down, he too, was caught behind off Best for 16 flashing at a short, wide ball just before tea.

After the break, Tino Best had early success when Nasser Hussain was beaten for pace and bowled between bat and pad for three to leave England 54 for three. But Best, bowling a lively spell, twisted his ankle and left the field.

Mark Butcher started to blossom in his absence with a few delightful strokes either side of the wicket. He raced to his half-century and took England to the verge of the 100-run mark, before Collins had him bowled for 52 that included seven fours from 86 balls in 128 minutes.

More success came West Indies way when Graham Thorpe, a century-maker in the previous Test, top-edged a hook and was caught inside the deep fine leg boundary for 10 off Fidel Edwards to leave England 98 for five.

Flintoff and Jones batted confidently to resist the West Indies attack for almost two hours to make sure that no more wickets fell. They defied the fast bowlers and forced Lara into an all-spin attack of Ramnaresh Sarwan with leg-spin and Ryan Hinds with orthodox left-arm spin to share 73, unbroken, for the sixth wicket.

There was a piece of drama just before the close though, when Flintoff, then 27, survived a chance to Lara when he top-edged a cut to slip off Sarwan.

England lead the four-Test series 3-0 after convincing victories at Kingston, Port of Spain and Bridgetown.

Lara's milestone was hailed by another great batsman, Sachin Tendulkar.

"A great achievement, a fantastic feat," Tendulkar told AFP ahead of the third and final Test against Pakistan starting in Rawalpindi on Tuesday.

"We always knew him to be a great accumulator of runs but to score over 350 twice is indeed remarkable. 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."

Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul Haq, who scored 329 against New Zealand at Lahore two years ago told AFP: "400? I would be happy getting half that much.

"Lara is a wonderful batsman to watch. I know records are meant to be broken but I can't see anyone else getting to 400 in my lifetime."

Scoreboard at close on the third day of the fourth and final Test:

West Indies 1st Innings
C. Gayle c and b Batty 69
D. Ganga lbw b Flintoff 10
B. Lara not out 400
R. Sarwan c Trescothick b Harmison 90
R. Powell c Hussain b S. Jones 23
R. Hinds c and b Batty 36
R. Jacobs not out 107
Extras (b4, lb5, w2, nb5) 16
Total (5 wkts) 751

Did not bat: T. Best, P. Collins, C. Collymore, F. Edwards
Fall of wickets: 1-33, 2-98, 3-330, 4-380, 5-469
Bowling: Hoggard 18-2-82-0 (nb2); Harmison 37-6-92-1 (w2); Flintoff 35- 8-109-1 (nb1); S. Jones 29-0-146-1; Batty 52-4-185-2; Vaughan 13-0-60- 0 (nb2); Trescothick 18-3-68-0.
Overs: 202

England 1st Innings
M. Trescothick c wkpr Jacobs b Best 16
M. Vaughan c wkpr Jacobs b Collins 7
M. Butcher b Collins 52
N. Hussain b Best 3
G. Thorpe c Collins b Edwards 10
A. Flintoff not out 37
G. Jones not out 32
Extras (lb2, w1, nb11) 14
Total (5 wkts) 171

To bat: G. Batty, M. Hoggard, S. Jones, S. Harmison
Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-45, 3-54, 4-98, 5-98
Bowling: Collins 13-3-37-2 (nb6); Edwards 10-1-41-1 (nb2, w1); Collymore 13-3-32-0 (nb1); Best 4.3-1-20-2 (nb1); Hinds 9.3-4-17-0 (nb1); Sarwan 7-0-18-0; Gayle 1-0-4-0
Overs: 58
Position: England trail West Indies by 580 runs with five first innings wickets standing.
Umpires: D. Hair, Aleem Dar
TV Replays: B. Doctrove, Reserve: C. Mack
Match Referee: M. Procter

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