Star batsman Brian Lara entered the record book Tuesday, smashing a century before lunch as the West Indies built a strong lead against Pakistan in the second cricket Test.
Lara's unbeaten 196 off 230 balls led West Indies to a commanding 509-5 at stumps on the third day and overshadowed teammate Dwayne Bravo's brilliant 89.
The West Indies led by 152 runs after fast bowler Jerome Taylor's five-wicket haul had restricted Pakistan to 357.
Lara, 37, joined three Australians _ V.T. Trumper (1902), C.G. Macartney (1926) and Sir Don Bradman (1930) _ along with Pakistan's Majid Khan (1976) as the only other batsmen to score centuries before lunch in Test history.
Lara hammered 21 boundaries and seven big sixes in a superb six-hour unbeaten innings.
``It's more important we keep the momentum going tomorrow and I stay there for some more time,'' said Lara. ``I am enthusiastic about the game, and I have the energy and desire to play.''
The pair of Lara and Bravo put on invaluable 200 runs that bettered the West Indies' previous best fifth-wicket stand of 185 runs against Pakistan between Collie Smith and Everton Weekes at Bridgetown in 1957-58.
Pakistan had its share of chances in an otherwise frustrating day in the field. Imran Farhat dropped Lara on 131 before wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal missed a legside catch when the West Indies captain was on 181. In the same over off leg-spinner Danish Kaneria (3-159), Akmal also missed a leg-side stumping chance that could have terminated Bravo's innings on 79.
Kaneria finally broke the threatening stand late in the day when Bravo edged a low catch to Younis Khan after hitting 12 boundaries in his 177-ball knock.
Earlier in a boundary-filled 2{-hour first session, Lara raised his 34th Test century off 77 balls before lunch with a dozen delightful fours and five huge sixes when he pulled Shahid Nazir for two runs in the penultimate over before the break.
``Lara is a genius, and you won't find a lot of cricketers like him in Test history,'' said Pakistan bowling coach Waqar Younis. ``Pakistan has the only chance to come back into this Test if we get early wickets tomorrow.''
Lara's fourth successive Test century against Pakistan also brought him just one century behind the all-time leading centurion Sachin Tendulkar (35) of India.
Opening batsmen Chris Gayle (93) and Daren Ganga (82) both missed their hundreds and were trapped lbw by Kaneria after the West Indies resumed at the overnight 151-0.
``I like to see younger boys go out and get the hundreds, and it was sad none of them went on to get their centuries,'' Lara said. ``That was the only sad point of the day.''
Kaneria soon came under a barrage of runs by Lara as the master batsman unleashed fluent boundaries _ especially on the offside of the wicket with his trademark cover drives and cut shots. Lara scored 60 runs off 29 deliveries that he faced from Kaneria in the first session.
Lara completed his half-century off 48 balls with eight boundaries and two sixes _ both off Kaneria. Later he took 26 runs in Kaneria's 30th over of the innings that included three successive sixes and two fours.
The flurry of Lara boundaries forced the Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq to take the second new ball that brought immediate success.
Umar Gul had Morton (5) lbw and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, playing in his 100th Test, mistimed a pull shot off Nazir and gave a simple catch at mid-on.
Gayle added six more to his overnight 87 before he was trapped lbw by Kaneria in his second over of the day off a delivery that spun sharply into the left-hander. Gayle added 162 runs for the first wicket with Ganga in four hours 10 minutes and hit 11 fours and a six in his 182-ball knock.
Ganga hammered 12 boundaries in his 251-ball innings before he too fell leg before wicket to Kaneria's sharp delivery before Bravo and Lara featured in a double-century partnership.
© The Canadian Press, 2007
