The world cares less about the first class cricket, the production house of world class cricketers. It came in limelight when something extraordinary happens. Brian Lara’s unbeaten 501 is among the fascinating cricket stats in the world. We care about his individual score because it is the highest score in any level of cricket. All of the avid cricket followers can remember this individual achievement by a great batsman from West Indies. He has achieved the record in English county cricket while playing for Warwickshire against Durham at Edgbaston in 1994.
Automatically, the next question may come in your mind, what are the highest individual score at each batting position. Brina Lara has achieved the record batting at No. 3.
Hanif Mohammad of Pakistan is the custodian of highest score achieved by an opener. Hanif scored 491 for Karachi against Bahawalpur in Karachi in 1958-59 while coming at No.2 highest score achieved by Bill Ponsford of Victoria. He scored 437 against Queensland in 1927-28. The Victorian batsman is also the highest run scorer at No 5. This time, Ponsford scored 429 against Tasmania in the same year. The underrated Aftab Baloch of Pakistan is the holder of highest score at No. 4. He scored 428 against Baluchistan in Karachi in 1973-74. The highest score at No. 6 and No. 7 belongs to two Indian batsmen. Karun Nair of Karnataka scored 328 coming at No. 6 during the last Ranji Trophy season final match against Tamil Nadu in March at Wankhede Stadium. WV Raman is the highest scorer at lower batting order position No. 7. He scored 313 as Tamil Nadu piled up 912 for 6.
Meanwhile, the underrated Aftab Baloch of Pakistan is the holder of highest score at No. 4. He scored 428 against Baluchistan in Karachi in 1973-74. The highest score at No. 6 and No. 7 belongs to two Indian batsmen. Karun Nair of Karnataka scored 328 coming at No. 6 during the Ranji Trophy season final match against Tamil Nadu in March 2015 at Wankhede Stadium. At No. 7 WV Raman is the highest scorer at lower batting order position. He scored 313 as Tamil Nadu piled up 912 for 6.
The best from the No. 8 is 268 by Cecil Maxwell. It was his only career hundred in an unremarkable career. He has scored this double hundred for Sir Julien Cahn’s XI against Leicestershire at West Bridgeford in 1935. The highest from No. 9 is 293 by the great Victor Trumper, going in artificially low for an Australian XI against Canterbury in Christchurch on a private tour of New Zealand in 1913-14. The last No. 10 and No. 11 are more pragmatic. John Chapman scored 165 from No. 10 for Derbyshire against Warwickshire at Blackwell in 1910, while the last man Peter Smith, an occasional England legspinner, hammered 163 from No. 11 for Essex against Derbyshire at Chesterfield in 1947.
Here is the full list of batsmen
|
Batting position |
Batsman |
Highest score |
|
Opener |
Hanif Mohammed |
491 |
|
No. 2 |
Bill Ponsford |
437 |
|
No. 3 |
Brian Lara |
501* |
|
No. 4 |
Aftab Baloch |
428 |
|
No.5 |
Bill Ponsford |
429 |
|
No.6 |
Karun Nair |
328 |
|
No. 7 |
WV Raman |
313 |
|
No.8 |
Cecil Maxwell |
268 |
|
No.9 |
Victor Trumper |
293 |
|
No.10 |
John Chapman |
165 |
|
No.11 |
Peter Smith |
163 |