Brian Lara's 375 in Antigua — The Day Sobers' 36-Year Record Fell

Sobers' 365 not out had stood since February 1958 in Jamaica against Pakistan. Several players — Hanif Mohammad (337), Len Hutton (364), Bob Cowper (307) — had attacked the record without success. Lara had announced himself with 277 in Sydney in January 1993 and was already considered the most exciting young left-hander in the world.

England were 1-3 down in the series and Lara had passed fifty in three of the previous four Tests but never converted. He came in on day two with West Indies 12 for 1. By stumps on day three he was 320 not out and Sobers had been flown to Antigua at the West Indies board's expense.

It was the fifth and final Test of England's 1993-94 tour, and the series was already lost. England, beaten in four straight Tests by a still-fearsome West Indian attack of Ambrose, Walsh, Benjamin and Chris Lewis, arrived in Antigua simply hoping to avoid further humiliation. They got more than they bargained for. Brian Lara, only his third Test century to his name, walked out at No. 3 after Phil Simmons fell early and proceeded to compile one of the longest and most carefully constructed innings in Test history. He was 320 not out at stumps on day three, with Sir Garry Sobers — whose 365 not out against Pakistan in Kingston in 1958 had stood for 36 years — sitting in the stands as a guest of the West Indies board. Lara crawled through the morning of day four, ticking past 350, and at 11:46 a.m. local time Chris Lewis dropped short. Lara rocked back, swivelled and hooked the ball flat to the square-leg boundary. The Antigua Recreation Ground erupted; Sobers walked onto the field to embrace him. Lara fell five balls later for 375, edging Caddick to Jack Russell, and West Indies declared at 593 for 5 — Shivnarine Chanderpaul, just 19, had added 219 with him for the fifth wicket.

“I'd like to thank everybody who came to support me, and Sir Garfield Sobers, who came all the way from Barbados to share this moment with me.”

“He played the perfect Test innings. He was just so calm and disciplined.”

England, demoralised, were dismissed for 593 in reply (Robin Smith 175, Graeme Hick 20) and the match was drawn. Lara was mobbed at every airport for months. Just seven weeks later he scored 501 not out for Warwickshire vs Durham, becoming the first player to hold the world records for both Test and first-class individual scores simultaneously.