Brian Lara became only the second player to pass 11 000 Test runs as he produced his long-awaited first century of the series against Australia in the final cricket Test at Adelaide Oval on Friday.
The 36-year-old West Indian batting great joined Australian world record holder Allan Border (11 174 runs) to single-handedly lead the Caribbean tourists to 194 for four at tea.
Lara raised his 31st Test hundred just before tea with two boundaries off Brett Lee to spark an appreciative standing ovation from the Adelaide Oval crowd where he averages over 61 per innings.
At tea, Lara was unconquered on 106 off 156 balls with Hobart Test centurion Dwayne Bravo in support on 22.
Lara has had a mixed series through below-par form and questionable umpiring decisions and he gave promise of recapturing his best form in a second innings 45 of the last Hobart Test before a dubious umpiring decision.
His century came up in 195 minutes off 144 balls — his last 50 off 52 balls — with nine boundaries.
Lara usually reserves his pinnacle form for Australian wickets.
Nine of his 31 Test centuries have been scored against Australia, four of those on Australian grounds.
His first one — 277 — was a particular classic with local cricket watchers in Sydney in 1993.
The Trinidad left-hander was given a standing ovation by the Adelaide crowd as he came out to bat in what could be his last Test in Australia.
It was his second century on the picturesque oval, once the stamping ground of Australian cricketing icon Don Bradman.
Lara scored his other century 182 in his last Test here in 2000.
The tourists badly needed an in-form Lara after losing four wickets in the opening two sessions.
Skipper Shivnarine Chanderpaul was out at mid-afternoon drinks for 25 when he feathered a catch behind off medium-pacer Andrew Symonds leaving the tourists at 121 for four.
Brett Lee struck three times in the morning session with the wickets of recalled opening batsman Wavell Hinds (10), his partner Devon Smith (7) and vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan (16) to have the tourists 71 for three at lunch.
Hinds, who missed the opening two Test defeats with a broken finger, was out in the sixth over, slow to react to a Lee lifter and giving Matthew Hayden an easy catch in the gully.
Lee removed Smith four balls later in the same over after he attempted to drive only to edge to Hayden for his second catch in the gully.
Sarwan’s woeful series continued when he instinctively hooked Lee to Andrew Symonds, who hardly moved at long leg to take a comfortable chest-high catch in the 19th over after he had batted his way in after an hour. – Sapa-AFP