Brian Lara: 8,625 and Counting

Thu, Nov 13, '03

Brian Lara duly completed his inevitable climb atop the all-time West Indies Test run-scoring mountain Thursday, blasting a boundary-studded 191 to surpass Viv Richards' record. It was an achievement expected around the region ever since the Trinidadian champion batsman was in short pants.

Resuming from an overnight score of 77, Lara wasted no time in getting to his 22nd Test century before obliterating the record in the 11th over of the day's play to move to seventh place on the all-time list.

He picked up the record-breaking 8,541st Test run in the 11th over of the day's play, stroking a flighted delivery from left-arm spinner Ray Price majestically to the cover boundary. Only Steve Waugh (10,660) and Sachin Tendulkar (8,882) are ahead of Lara among active players.

Throughout the day, Lara was the only attraction. Runs came with ease as he picked the gaps with trademark accuracy. The bulk of his runs came from drives through the arc between wide mid-on and mid-off, including four big sixes and 23 boundaries.

Such was Lara's dominance that Ramnaresh Sarwan's attractive 65 was a mere afterthought. The West Indies skipper was finally dismissed just nine runs short of his sixth double century -- a innings that spanned 271 minutes and 203 balls.

It was an anti-climax afterwards. The West Indies tail, hurt by an umpiring error that sent Shiv Chanderpaul packing for just 15, did not wag sufficiently and the West Indies slipped to 481 all out.

Coming into the second day at 282 for three, the West Indies would have been looking at a first innings score in the 550 range but it was not to be. And the bowlers didn't look like they were capable of defending it anyway.

In keeping with the twists-and-turns theme of these touring West Indians, the bowlers let the obvious advantage slip away after a spectacular start.

Zimbabwe's opener Vusi Sibanda was caught-and-bowled by the impressive Fidel Edwards with the score on 5. Merv Dillon, strangely included for this match at the expense of Vasbert Drakes, then got into the action and picked up the wicket of Trevor Gripper, played on.

Edwards then made it 31-3 with the wicket of Stuart Carlisle but it was all Zimbabwe after that.

Craig Wishart and Mark Vermeulen made batting look easy as Lara made nonstop -- and sometimes weird -- bowling changes throughout. The bowlers never got a chance to settle as Lara switched from bowler to bowler, much to the bemusement of everyone involved.

His strange tactics included giving the brand new cherry to slow-medium bowler Wavell Hinds. In all, he made 21 bowling changes as Wishart and Vermeulen flourished. Wishart was especially brutal, cutting and driving well on his way to an unbeaten 86 (13 fours, one six).

At the close, Zimbabwe had recovered to 173 for three (308 runs behind with seven wickets in hand).