Backyard cricketer unimpressed by Lara 400

[Dale61]

From http://www.thebladder.com.au

Talented backyard cricketer Tim Arthur, 13, of Chatswood, has dismissed the performance of West Indian captain Brian Lara in becoming the first man to score 400 in an individual Test innings.

“Lara, Schmara,” Arthur told thebladder.com. “I’ve scored more than 400 in a Test several times. Ask my seven-year-old brother, Kevin … he was the one bowling.”

Arthur said he took a fellow player’s interest in Lara’s achievement, but pleaded with the cricketing world not to get carried away.

“It was a good knock by Lara, don’t get me wrong. But the fact is, I scored 423 the day after Matt Hayden’s 380 against Zimbabwe. And at the risk of being immodest, I was up against the Windies at their peak at the time, Holding, Garner and Marshall at their fastest. Kevin was pretty knocked out by the end but I made him keep bowling until I had passed the 400 mark. At 423 he ran, crying, to Mum, the little squib.”

Arthur said he hoped to break the magical 500 run mark as soon as he could convince his brother to represent England against Tim’s Australian XI.

Arthur admitted that his backyard rule of six runs every time the ball struck the back fence on the full had helped his scoring rate, and the short, 3 metre distance to the on-side boundary. But he stood by his scores. “I think if you look at the records, you’ll find that I made 600 against Queensland in a Shield game, eclipsing Lara’s best score in county cricket. That was three years ago. Don’t ask Kevin about that one – he was only four when he was bowling that time and he can’t remember much before Prep.”

[BJ]

Yes, I remember backyard cricket fondly. I actually unashamedly dismiss Lara's record as well. I made many a 'quaddy' in backyard cricket, actually one against all nations. I actually scored a triple ton, 399, but was out "hit car on the full" back when I was 10 and knew then that the 400 plus mark was not beyond me.
I scored 254 in a one-day game, but the over the fence, "six and out " rule got me.

My beach cricket record hardly stands up to the true sanctity of backyard cricket, more fielders, tip and run, I mean the pressure is really on in beach cricket, the modified rules destroyed the game I loved.

Anyway, good luck to Lara, but it's not like 400 is a precedence, it's been done in backyard cricket many times before, all around the world!

I bet he never kicked 14 goals in an AFL grand final, including 8 in the last quarter comeback to snatch the game for the pies..., but that's another story... ahhh backyard footy!

BJ