England County Championship: Glamorgan’s Sam Northeast cracks unbeaten 410, Lara’s world record remains safe

Grace Road (Leicester):  Glamorgan batter Sam Northeast on Saturday scripted history after he smashed 410 not out in 450 balls and became just the first player this century to make more than 400 runs in a first-class innings in England’s County Championship, here.

During his historic knock, Northeast flirted with the world record score of West Indies great Brian Lara, who had scored an unbeaten 501 for Warwickshire in 1994. However, his chance of surpassing Lara’s record 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 against Leicestershire.

It was the ninth-highest score in first-class history and the highest any batter has totalled since Lara’s record knock 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 not out) for the sixth wicket in reply to Leicestershire’s 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 51 half-centuries, Northeast has never been given a chance by England to perform at the international level.

–IANS