Antigua now ‘Lara-land’ says PM Patterson

ST JOHN’S: Brian Lara’s world record of 400 runs in a Test innings continues to receive rave reviews from regional leaders. Jamaican Prime Minister PJ Patterson and his Antiguan counterpart, Baldwin Spencer, spoke of the significance of Lara’s achievement during the opening of a two-day meeting of the CARICOM Bureau in St John’s on Tuesday. Patterson described the innings at the Antigua Recreation Ground (ARG) during the fourth and final Test match against England as “an outstanding performance by really an outstanding son of the Caribbean.”

The outgoing CARICOM chairman also took issue with those who criticised the West Indies captain for going after the record for the second time in ten years.  Australia’s captain Ricky Ponting had condemned Lara’s decision to bat on rather than giving his bowlers time to bowl out England twice to win the match. Lara’s feat had erased the previous record of 380 set by Matthew Hayden of Australia last October.  But Patterson said Lara has etched his name in the annals of the game forever.  “While others have chosen to take issue with the decision, the fact is, it is a performance that will always remain indelibly in cricketing history — the first person to have made 400 runs like Roger Bannister (who broke the four-minute mile record) that’s a record that will stand the test of time,” the Jamaican leader said.

He jokingly suggested that Antigua and Barbuda may change its name to reflect Lara’s liking for the ARG because it was the second time the Trinidadian left-handed batting maestro was establishing the world record here after his 375 in 1994. “Neither the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago nor myself have any territorial or political ambitions in respect of Antigua and Barbuda but some are beginning to consider whether Antigua in particular should now be known as ‘Lara-land’ ,” Patterson said. Spencer, who was among the first to congratulate Lara on his feat on April 12, called on his colleague “to find the disposition to issue a formal citation on the latest record-making achievement of that celebrated West Indian genius, Brian Lara.”

“May I further petition you to consider including in whatever citation this meeting may, in your discretion, issue to Mr Lara, a reference to the fact that both of his record Test cricket scores were executed at the nearby Antigua Recreation Ground. “May I humbly submit that reference be also made to the fact that the West Indies record fourth innings victory total (of 418 against Australia last year), and the record West Indies team score in a Test match innings (751), were also executed at the Antigua Recreation Ground.”