Lara — when going good

THE EDITOR: I am writing this to all of the supporters of Brian Lara. I congratulate you Lara on your new record but you still have not put this critic to silence. Brian Lara has done this time and time again. Everyone seems to be saying, “Brian Lara is the best, I knew he could have done it, he is even better than Bradman, he is the best batsman in history,” which I have to say he is good, but being better than Bradman and being the best in history is total nonsense.

First Brian Lara has a history of always waiting on perfect batting pitches to do these things. All you have is to bat first, don’t hoof, pull or chase wide deliveries. You see, I think with logic and facts not emotions or liking. Now readers, look at these scores.
1993 — 277 vs Australia perfect batting pitch
1994 — 375 vs England perfect batting pitch
1994 — 501 Warwickshire vs Durham a batting haven
1999 — 213 vs Australia a perfect batting pitch
1993 — 277 vs Australia a batting heaven
2001 — 221 vs Sri Lanka perfect batting pitch
2003 — 204 vs Zimbabwe pitch good for batting offering a little help to bowlers.
2004 — 202 vs South Africa a pitch good for batting but offering a little help to bowlers
2004 — 400 not out vs England a batting haven

People would say you have to have stamina, grit and mental strength. I would give him that. But after a string of low scores on pitches that Thorpe, Hussein and Butcher all scored half centuries on. Come on people, are you not seeing what is going on. There are over 19 scores of over three hundred in Test matches where a lot of players have batted on bowling pitches and scored over three hundred. Also the insanity of comparing Lara with Bradman is out of this world. Bradman scored 12 doubles, two triple and a number of hundreds on pitches that were good for bowling and he did that in less than 57 Tests and Lara has played 106. I am just waiting for the One Day Series and other series to start. I am just waiting. Will West Indies continue to make runs on pitches good for batting and dead for bowling; will they continue to be bowled out for low scores on pitches good for batting and bowling? Let’s wait and see.

GARY PEAR
Woodbrook