History was made in England’s County Championship on Saturday, 23 July, as Glamorgan batter Sam Northeast flirted with the world record score of West Indies great Brian Lara and became just the first player this century to make more than 400 runs in a first-class innings.
Northeast hit a brilliant 410* from 450 deliveries against Leicestershire, but any chance he had of surpassing Lara’s world record score of 501* was cut short when Glamorgan captain David Lloyd declared his side’s innings at 795/5 at lunch on day four of the Division Two contest at Grace Road.
It was the ninth highest score in first-class history and the highest any batter has totalled since Lara’s record knock for Warwickshire against Durham in Birmingham more than 28 years ago.
Northeast is also just the 11th batter to surpass the 400-run mark in a first-class innings, joining cricketing greats such as Don Bradman, Graeme Hick, Bill Ponsford and Lara that have previously achieved the feat.
The right-hander hit 45 boundaries and three sixes during his record-breaking knock, with the 32-year-old enjoying an unbeaten 461-run partnership with Chris Cooke (191*) for the sixth wicket in reply to Leicestershire first innings score of 584.
Northeast also enjoyed a 306-run stand with South Africa international Colin Ingram (139), with the duo coming to the crease with Glamorgan in a spot of bother initially at 9/2 in the seventh over.
Despite an impressive first-class record that has netted 26 centuries and 61 half-centuries, Northeast has never been given a chance by England to perform at international level.
