Brian Lara

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Brian Charles Lara (born May 2, 1969) is an outstanding West Indian cricketer.

Related Topics:
May 2 - 1969 - West Indian - Cricket

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He is a talented left-handed batsman with an exceptional ability to build massive innings. Lara is the world record holder for the highest individual score in both first-class cricket (501 not out for Warwickshire against Durham in 1994) and Test cricket (400 not out for the West Indies against England on 12 April, 2004). In scoring the innings of 400 not out, he became the first man to reclaim the Test record score, having scored 375 against England in 1994 (a record that stood until Matthew Hayden's 380 against Zimbabwe in 2003). The score also meant that he was the second player (after Donald Bradman) to score two Test innings of more than 300, and only the second ever (after Bill Ponsford) to score 400 or more in two first-class innings.

Related Topics:
Batsman - Innings - First-class cricket - Warwickshire - Durham - 1994 - Test cricket - West Indies - England - 12 April - 2004 - Matthew Hayden - Zimbabwe - 2003 - Donald Bradman - Bill Ponsford

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Lara captained the West Indies from 1997 to 1999. He was reappointed as captain against the touring Australians in 2003, and struck 110 in his first Test match back in charge, showing signs of him returning to his best. In September 2004, West Indies won the ICC Champions Trophy in England under his captaincy and seemed to have finally started their comeback from years of poor performance.

Related Topics:
1997 - 1999 - Australians - 2003

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In March 2005, Lara, along with six other senior players, was dropped by the West Indies Cricket Board from the West Indies team over their personal Cable & Wireless sponsorship deals, which clashed with the Cricket Board's main sponsor, Digicel. The issue was resolved after the first test of the series against the touring South African team. Lara returned to the team for the second test (and scored a huge first innings score of 196), but in the process lost his captaincy indefinitely to the newly-appointed Shivnarine Chanderpaul. In the next test, against the same opponents, he scored a majestic 176 in the first innings, which was hailed by many as one of his best innings in recent years. After an indifferent one day series against South Africa, he once again established himself as one of the leading batsmen of the modern era when he scored his first test century against the visiting Pakistanis in the first test at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados.

Related Topics:
Cable & Wireless - Digicel - South African team - Shivnarine Chanderpaul - Kensington Oval - Bridgetown, Barbados

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