Flashback: Most runs by a batter in a day of first-class cricket

First-class cricket is considered as the dress rehearsal for the international stage. Over the years, fans have witnessed many great players making a name on the international scene after showing their mettle and honing their skills at the first-class level. In this article, we take a look at the most runs scored by a batter in a single day’s play in first-class cricket.

The legendary Brian Lara holds some of the most incredible records in first-class cricket. He played a stunning innings of 501 not out off 427 balls in an encounter between Warwickshire and Durham in Birmingham in June 1994. Durham declared for 556/8 in their first innings and would have been confident of their chances in the county clash.

However, Lara was in the mood, as his marathon knock helped Warwickshire reach a mammoth 810/4 before declaring in their first innings. The stylish left-handed batter hit a whopping 62 fours and 10 sixes during his knock and finished with a strike rate of 117.33. Keith Piper also scored an unbeaten 116 off 151 balls in that innings. Durham captain Phil Bainbridge used seven bowling options and only one of them conceded runs at an economy rate of less than five.

Lara’s world record feat

Lara scored a record 390 runs on a single day during his innings. No other batter has scored more runs than that in a single day in first-class cricket history. The ‘Prince of Trinidad’ was dropped on 18 and didn’t look back after getting the reprieve. Lara also became the first batter to score seven centuries in eight first-class innings.

The southpaw went past former Pakistan cricketer Hanif Mohammad’s record for most runs in an innings by a batter. Mohammad scored 499. The match eventually ended in a draw. Overall, in first-class cricket, the 54-year-old West Indian batter played 261 matches and amassed 22,156 runs at an average of 51.88. Lara has 65 centuries and 88 half-centuries to his name in first-class cricket.