What the papers said about . . . Brian Lara

'The day the earth moved for Brian Lara - 375 times.' Star

'At four o'clock yesterday morning, Brian Lara woke in his hotel room, sweating and shaking with nerves over the enormity of the day ahead. A little under eight hours later, sustained by adrenalin and driven by desire, he claimed the one record that, for 36 years, every schoolboy has known by heart.' Times

'Oblivious to the danger of flying feet and hurtling bodies, he knelt to kiss the ground he had just made sacred to West Indies cricket. Nobody will swear on oath that the shot which gave Brian Lara the world record actually reached the midwicket boundary. It was heading that way when the crowd exploded like the bursting of a Caribbean blood vessel. The police . . . made a token stand against the invasion. They might as well have tried swatting a swarm of mosquitoes.' Mail

'Lara: I did it for my dead dad. He sacrificed everything to buy me a bat.' Mirror

'Life will never be so simple again for the little, broad-shouldered fellow brought up among 10 brothers and sisters at Santa Cruz in Trinidad, but we know already that he will carry his greatness with dignity and a smile.' Telegraph

'The sublime contrast between Lara's fluency and the crablike nervousness of current English technique suggests that the man who makes 376 will not come from these shores.' Guardian

'Oddly enough, England's first impression of Lara in this series was of a nervous, squinting young man playing Devon Malcolm with such desperate unease in the first Test that one feared for his safety. However, it transpired that he has a film-like impediment on both eyes, which will shortly require a minor operation. So there it is. Once Lara can see properly, he should develop into a fairly handy player.' Independent