Declared at 751

West Indies won the toss at St John’s on 10 April 2004, batted for two days and a session, and declared at 751 for five. Brian Lara, the captain, was 400 not out from 582 balls. England made 285, followed on, made 422 for five, and the match was drawn. The series line reads England won the four-match series 3-0.

Two days and a session

Lara came in at 33 for one on the first morning and was 86 not out at the close, on 208 for two, after rain took the afternoon until five past four. The card gives his hundred at 131 balls, his 200 at 260, his 250 at 323 and his 300 at 404, and notes that it was his second triple century on the same ground.

West Indies were 595 for five at the close of the second day, Lara 313. Ramnaresh Sarwan had made 90 and Chris Gayle 69; the third wicket had put on 232.

On the third morning Ridley Jacobs reached a hundred, from 181 balls, and the card records the first byes of the innings at 194.6 overs with the total on 730. Lunch was taken at 734 for five, Lara 390. He reached 400 from his 582nd ball, in the 773rd minute, and the innings closed at 751 for five in 202 overs. The sixth-wicket stand was 282 and was not broken.

Full scorecard: West Indies v England, 4th Test, St John’s, Antigua, 10–14 April 2004 →

The number

The card’s note at 384 marks the point at which the record for the highest Test score came back to Lara. Matthew Hayden had taken it from him with 380 in 2003, five more than the 375 Lara had made on this ground in 1994. The 400 put it out of reach, and the declaration came once it was reached. The card does not say so; the timing does.

The other three innings

England’s reply was 285, Andrew Flintoff 102 not out, Pedro Collins four for 76. They were 466 behind and followed on. Marcus Trescothick and Michael Vaughan put on 182 for the first wicket, Vaughan made 140, Mark Butcher 61, Nasser Hussain 56, and England were 422 for five when it ended. Nobody was ever going to win it after the third morning.

Steve Harmison, who was player of the series for 23 wickets, was warned three times for running on the pitch and put out of the attack for the innings on the third day. Gareth Batty bowled 52 overs for 185. Trescothick bowled 18.

What the declaration decided

A declaration at 751 for five leaves the other side two innings to survive in two and a half days, which England did with five wickets and 137 overs. The question the card leaves open is whether the innings was closed to win the match or to stop at the number. The series was gone. The record was not. The card’s note at 400, followed by the declaration, is the nearest thing to an answer it offers.

The umpires were Aleem Dar and Darrell Hair. The card notes that Jeff Crowe took over as match referee from the start of the fourth day. Geraint Jones was on debut for England and made 38 and 10 not out. It is Test number 1696.

What the card holds

A 400 not out with 43 fours and four sixes. A wicketkeeper’s hundred at the other end. A declaration at 751 in a Test that was drawn. A follow-on enforced with a lead of 466 and answered with 422. A bowler removed from the attack in a total of 751. And a series result, 3-0 to the side that did not make any of those numbers.

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No. 10 in Declared, a series of 15.

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