Lara fastest to 9,000 Test runs

CAPE TOWN, South Africa: Brain Lara became the fastest player to reach 9,000 test runs yesterday when he scored 115 of his team’s 427 all out at the Newlands Stadium, here, in the third of four Tests between South Africa and the West Indies. Lara moved past the 9,000-run mark when he reached 85, becoming the fifth batsman to do so. This is his 101st Test match and he reached the mark in his 177th innings, two fewer than it took Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar to reach the milestone in a test against Australia. “To get there fastest is an achievement in itself, but in the context of the game, it ultimately will mean nothing if we don’t concentrate. I want to stretch it way past 9,000,” Lara said after the close yesterday.

“This game is not over yet, and I am absolutely not considering going home without a win here. We can still square the series,” Lara said. “We’ve got an opportunity but we’ve got to play cricket the way we know how to play it. “It’s important that we claw ourselves back into this game. Any result is possible at this moment and we have to go out there with a very positive mind tomorrow. “Their (South Africa’s) plan is to bat us out of the game. They have a slight advantage, but I think a total of 350 to chase is realistic for us.”