By Admin 
There are some innings in cricket history which not only create records but also become an example for the coming generations. One such inning was played by Brian Lara 30 years ago, when he surprised the entire cricket world by scoring 501 runs alone. This was the innings which redefined the boundaries of batting.
Historic innings played against Durham
The year 1994, a county cricket match of England was going on. There was a competition going on between Durham and Warwickshire. Batting first, Durham declared the innings after scoring 556 runs for 8 wickets. John Morris scored a double century and played an innings of 204 runs. However, despite this, no one thought that in reply a batsman from Warwickshire would create history. When Brian Lara came to bat at number three, the team’s score was only 8 runs. The conditions were difficult, but Lara changed the course of the match with his batting.
What happened after this was recorded in the golden chapters of cricket. Lara did not let the bowlers walk. He showed such a mixture of restraint, technique and aggression that the entire Durham team standing on the field looked helpless. He scored an unbeaten 501 runs in 427 balls, which included 62 fours and 10 sixes. The special thing was that Lara alone hit more boundaries than the entire Durham team. This figure alone is enough to tell what level of innings it was.
Attu record of first class cricket
This was the first time in first class cricket, when a batsman crossed the 500 run mark. Earlier, Pakistan’s Hanif Mohammad’s score of 499 runs was considered the highest. Leaving that record behind, Lara placed herself in a different league. His innings still remains the biggest innings of first class cricket.
Comparison with Sachin Tendulkar
Brian Lara was always considered a contemporary and rival of Sachin Tendulkar. While Sachin is known for his consistency and long career, Lara is known for his extraordinary and big innings. Lara is also the only batsman in the world to score 400 runs in Test cricket. That innings played against England in 2004 is also unbroken till date.