Brian Lara made the highest individual score in first-class cricket, 501 not out, in 1994. He scored it for Warwickshire against Durham at Edgbaston, surpassing the previous record and becoming the first player to reach 500 in a first-class innings.
Lara’s innings lasted 474 minutes and came from 427 balls. He hit 62 fours and 10 sixes, combining long periods of control with explosive strokeplay. The score remained unbeaten because Warwickshire declared while Lara was still at the crease.
The achievement is often confused with Lara’s Test records. In 2004, he made 400 not out for the West Indies against England, the highest individual score in Test cricket. His 501 belongs to first-class cricket, the broader category that includes domestic championship matches.
Lara’s 501 followed his earlier 375 against England in 1994, meaning he set major batting records in both international and domestic cricket during the same remarkable year.