Archie MacLaren's 424 — First Quadruple Century in First-Class Cricket, 1895

MacLaren had been Lancashire's senior amateur batsman for several years and had already toured Australia in 1894-95 under Stoddart. Grace's 344 had stood as the first-class peak since 1876. Somerset had a depleted attack at Taunton; their leading bowlers had been hit by injuries.

Lancashire's second wicket fell at 41; MacLaren came in at three. He moved to 50 in 90 minutes, 100 in 195 minutes.

MacLaren had been playing for Lancashire for half a decade and was already England material — he would tour Australia later that winter. Somerset, a thin-attack side promoted to the Championship in 1891, had drawn the Lancashire fixture at Taunton in mid-July. Lancashire won the toss and chose to bat.

MacLaren came in at the fall of the first wicket and stayed for 470 minutes. He passed Grace's 344 in the late afternoon of day one and went on. By stumps he was on 244 not out. The next morning he resumed against an exhausted Somerset attack and added another 180. He hit 62 fours and one six (one of only a handful in his career), and was finally caught for 424. Lancashire declared at 801, and Somerset, with John Briggs taking 6 for 40, were beaten by an innings and 452.

The 424 was the first first-class quadruple century in cricket history. It surpassed Grace's 344 from 1876 by exactly 80 runs and stood as the world record until Bill Ponsford's 429 against Tasmania in February 1923. As an English first-class record it held until Brian Lara's 501* at Edgbaston in 1994. As a Lancashire record it remains in place 130 years later.

“It seemed at the time that no one would ever score so many in a first-class match again.”

MacLaren toured Australia in 1897-98 under Stoddart and would captain England regularly between 1899 and 1909. He never matched the 424; his career-best Test score was 140. He died in 1944 aged 73, by then the most distinguished surviving England captain of the Victorian era.