A quadruple
century (an individual score of 400
runs or more) has been scored eleven times in
first-class cricket by nine different players. It was first achieved in 1895 by
Archie MacLaren, playing for
Lancashire against
Somerset, while the most recent occurrence was by
Sam Northeast.
Brian Lara is the only player to have managed the feat in
Test cricket. Lara holds the record for the highest score in first-class cricket, having made 501
not out in 1994.
Bill Ponsford is the only other player to have scored two quadruple centuries, doing so in 1923 and 1927 for the
Victoria cricket team. Ponsford's scores were both made at the
Melbourne Cricket Ground, making it one of two venues to have hosted two quadruple centuries, along with the
County Ground, Taunton. Two teams have conceded two quadruple centuries; Somerset and
Queensland.
Don Bradman's score of 452 not out was made in the shortest time of all quadruple centuries; his innings lasting 415 minutes (6 hours and 55 minutes). Lara's Test quadruple was the longest, taking 778 minutes (12 hours and 58 minutes). Bradman's quadruple century was also the only one to be scored in a team's second batting innings. Three of the quadruple centuries were made in each of Australia and England, two in Pakistan, one in India and one in
Antigua and Barbuda.
History
Prior to 1895, the highest score in first-class cricket was
W. G. Grace's 344.[1] This total was surpassed by
Archie MacLaren, playing for
Lancashire during a
County Championship match against
Somerset. MacLaren
opened the batting for his side at the
County Ground, Taunton, and struck 1
six and 64 fours during his innings, which lasted well into the second day of the three-day match.[2][a] MacLaren's score of 424 remained the only quadruple century for over 25 years, until
Bill Ponsford accumulated 429 runs in his third first-class match.[4][5][b] Ponsford improved on his own record four years later, reaching 437 runs;[c] both of his quadruple centuries were scored at the
Melbourne Cricket Ground.[8] The next quadruple century was again scored in Australia, on this occasion by
Don Bradman. Playing at the
Sydney Cricket Ground, Bradman passed Ponsford's total, finishing on 452 not out.[d] His innings, which lasted 415 minutes, is the quickest of any quadruple century.[8]
The next three quadruple centuries were scored in the
Indian subcontinent, where according to MacLaren's biographer Michael Down "standards of play are sometimes hard to assess".[2]B. B. Nimbalkar was the first batsman to score a quadruple century without setting a new record for the highest score, hitting 443 not out for
Maharashtra at
Poona Club Ground. Maharashtra's opposition,
Kathiawar,[e] conceded the match on the third day without batting for a second time.[f] Nimbalkar so far is the only player to have scored a first-class quadruple century but completed his career without ever playing an international match. In 1959,
Hanif Mohammad, who later became Pakistan's Test captain, eclipsed Bradman's record, scoring 499 runs before he was
run out.[g] Playing at the
Karachi Parsi Institute Ground, he was trying to reach 500 runs before the end of the third day when he was run out in the final
over.[13] Fifteen years later,
Aftab Baloch, also from Pakistan, became the sixth player to score a quadruple century. Captaining
Sind at the
National Stadium, Karachi, Baloch scored 428.[h]
In 1988,
Graeme Hick made the second quadruple century in England. Coming 93 years after the first, it was similarly scored at the County Ground, Taunton. In an innings which
Vic Marks described as "clinical rather than charismatic",[16] Hick reached 405 not out from 469
deliveries: his first 300 runs came from 411 balls, and the last hundred were scored off 58 more.[16][i] England was once again the host nation for the next quadruple century—which became a quintuple century—when
Brian Lara made the record high score in first-class cricket, hitting 501 not out for
Warwickshire against
Durham in 1994.[j] In contrast to Hick's patient innings, Lara's total was one of only two quadruple centuries that were scored at faster than a run a minute.[8]It is also, to date the only quadruple century scored by a batsman outside his home country. In a match that had been ruined as a contest by rain,[20] Lara asked his captain not to declare their innings so he could try to surpass Hanif Mohammad's total.[21] Aiming for 500, he started the final
over of the day on 497, and reached the landmark with a four, scored from the penultimate ball of the over.[22]
In July 2022,
Sam Northeast scored 410 not out for Glamorgan against Leicestershire.[l] Northeast, aged 32, had not yet played an international match of any kind.
^Lancashire won the toss and batted first, scoring 801 in 222 five-ball overs. Archie MacLaren, Lancashire's captain, scored 424, and Arthur Paul made 177. Somerset replied with 143 and, following on, 206. Johnny Briggs took five for 78 and Arthur Mold five for 76 in Somerset's second innings. Lancashire won by an innings and 452 runs.[3]
^ Tasmania won the toss and batted first, scoring 217. Victoria replied with a world record 1,059 including centuries from Bill Ponsford (429) and Hammy Love (156). Tasmania then made 176 in their second innings, losing by an innings and 666 runs.[6]
^Queensland won the toss and decided to field first. Victoria scored 793, including centuries from Bill Ponsford (437) and "Stork" Hendry (129); Gordon Amos took five for 148. In reply Queensland made 189 (Don Blackie took six for 46) and, following on, 407 including 118 from Cecil Thompson; Bert Ironmonger took five for 88. Victoria won by an innings and 197 runs. Ponsford became the first man to break his own record for the highest first-class innings.[7]
^New South Wales won the toss and batted first, scoring 235, to which Queensland replied with 227 (Stan McCabe taking five for 36). In their second innings New South Wales amassed 761 for eight declared, with centuries from Donald Bradman (a world record 452*) and Alan Kippax (115) (Alec Hurwood took six for 179). Chasing 770 to win, Queensland were bowled out for 84 (Sam Everett took six for 23) and lost by 685 runs.[9]
^The Kathiawar cricket team is now known as the Saurashtra cricket team.
^Kathiawar won the toss and batted first, scoring 238. Maharashtra replied with 826 for four, with centuries from Kamal Bhandarkar (205) and Bhausaheb Nimbalkar (443 not out). This was the score at the tea interval on the third day, when the captain of Kathiawar demanded Maharashtra declare. Maharashtra refused, whereupon the Kathiawar players departed, conceding the match.[10][11]
^In their Quaid-e-Azam Trophy semi-final, Karachi won the toss and put Bahawalpur in to bat. Bahawalpur scored 185. Karachi replied with 772 for seven declared, including centuries from Hanif Mohammad (499) and Wallis Mathias (103). Hanif was run out for the highest score in first-class cricket off the last ball of the third day of the match. In their second innings Bahawalpur scored 108, and Karachi won by an innings and 479 runs[12]
^Baluchistan won the toss and batted first, scoring 93. Sind replied with 951 for seven declared with centuries from Bashir Shana (165), Aftab Baloch (428) and Javed Miandad (100), and dismissed Baluchistan for 283 in their second innings (Mubashir Sajjad took five for 97), winning by an innings and 575 runs.[14][15]
^Worcestershire won the toss and elected to bat first. Somerset reduced them to 132 for five, but Graeme Hick (405 not out) led a recovery. Somerset declared on 628 for seven as soon as Hick hit the six that brought up his 400. In reply Somerset made 222 and, following on, 192. Phil Newport took six for 50 in Somerset's second innings, and Worcestershire won by an innings and 214 runs.[17]
^Durham won the toss and batted first, scoring 556 for eight declared, including 204 for John Morris. In reply at the end of the second day Warwickshire were 210 for two, with Brian Lara 111* having been bowled by a no-ball on 12 and dropped by the wicket-keeper on 18. Rain prevented play on the third day and, together with injuries to two of Durham's bowlers, removed the possibility of either side playing for a win. So Lara batted on, scoring 390 runs on the final fourth day to end on 501*; when Lara reached 500, by hitting the penultimate ball of the day for four, Warwickshire declared with their total at 810 for four. The match was drawn.[18][19]
^West Indies won the toss and batted first, scoring 751 for five declared including hundreds from Brian Lara (400 not out) and Ridley Jacobs (107 not out). England replied with 285, including 102 not out from Andrew Flintoff. Following on, England were 422 for five when the match ran out of time and was drawn. Michael Vaughan made 140 in England's second innings.[23]
^Leicestershire won the toss and batted first, running up 584 including 156 from Wiaan Mulder. In reply, Sam Northeast shared a triple century partnership with Colin Ingram (139) and a club record 461 unbroken with Chris Cooke (191*). Northeast, dropped on 96, reached 410 not out. At lunch on the final day, with Glamorgan on 795 for 5 (four batsman having been dismissed for single figure scores), there was speculation that they might bat on to chase further records, but Glamorgan's coach
Matthew Maynard later stated that their assessment was that if they declared there was a one-in-thirty chance of bowling Leicestershire out and gaining an important victory; this they did, with only a few overs to spare. Leicestershire made 183, and Glamorgan won by an innings and 28 runs.[26] Leicestershire's first innings 584 was the highest total in first class cricket by a team that went on to lose the match by an innings.[27][28]