First-class (FC) cricket tests batters to another level. They need to earn every run they score.
So once a batter gets a good start, they make sure to turn it into a big score. And by big, I mean quadruple or even quintuple centuries!
So here’s a look at the highest individual scores in first-class cricket.
Top Highest Individual Scores in FC
| Player | Score | 4s/6s | Team | Opponent | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Lara | 501* | 62/10 | Warwickshire | Durham | Birmingham | 2 Jun 1994 |
| Hanif Mohammad | 499 | 64/0 | Karachi | Bahawalpur | Karachi | 8 Jan 1959 |
| Don Bradman | 452* | 49/0 | NSW | Queensland | Sydney | 3 Jan 1930 |
| Bhausaheb Nimbalkar | 443* | 49/1 | Maharashtra | Kathiawar | Pune | 16 Dec 1948 |
| Bill Ponsford | 437 | 42/0 | Victoria | Queensland | Melbourne | 16 Dec 1927 |
| Bill Ponsford | 429 | 42/0 | Victoria | Tasmania | Melbourne | 2 Feb 1923 |
| Aftab Baloch | 428 | 25/0 | Sind | Baluchistan | Karachi | 18 Feb 1974 |
| Archie MacLaren | 424 | 62/1 | Lancashire | Somerset | Taunton | 15 Jul 1895 |
| Sam Northeast | 410* | 45/3 | Glamorgan | Leics | Leicester | 20 Jul 2022 |
| Graeme Hick | 405* | 35/11 | Worcs | Somerset | Taunton | 5 May 1988 |
| Brian Lara | 400* | 43/4 | West Indies | England | St John’s | 10 Apr 2004 |
| Naved Latif | 394 | 52/5 | Sargodha | Gujranwala | Gujranwala | 16 Nov 2000 |
| Stephen Cook | 390 | 53/1 | Lions | Warriors | KuGumpo City | 22 Oct 2009 |
| Bert Sutcliffe | 385 | 46/3 | Otago | Canterbury | Christchurch | 25 Dec 1952 |
| Charles Gregory | 383 | 55/0 | NSW | Queensland | Brisbane | 10 Nov 1906 |
Key Insights on Highest Individual Scores in First-Class Cricket
Elite Quadruple and Quintuple Centuries in FC Cricket
Brian Lara holds the record for the highest individual score in first-class cricket. He scored an unbeaten 501 from 427 balls for Warwickshire against Durham in the County Championship in 1994.
Notably, Lara has also brought up the highest individual score in Test cricket. He aggregated 400 not out off 582 balls for the West Indies against England in the 2004 St John’s Test.
Lara and William Ponsford are the two batters to score two quadruple centuries (400 or more runs in an innings) in first-class cricket.
Archie MacLaren has brought up the highest individual score in an away first-class match. He scored 424 for Lancashire against Somerset at Taunton in the 1895 County Championship.
Sam Northeast (410* for Glamorgan vs Leicestershire) and Graeme Hick (405* for Worcestershire vs Somerset) are the other batters to score a quadruple hundred in an away FC match.
Hanif Mohammad’s 499 for Karachi against Bahawalpur in 1959 is the highest individual score by an opener in first-class cricket.
Top Century-Makers in FC Cricket
Don Bradman has smashed the most triple centuries in first-class cricket, with six 300-plus scores to his name.
Bradman has also scored the most double hundreds in FC cricket, converting 37 centuries into 200-plus knocks.
Wally Hammond is the only other batter with more than 30 double centuries in FC, with 36 scores in his kitty.
Jack Hobbs, meanwhile, has scored the most centuries in red-ball cricket, with 199 knocks.
Hobbs is also the leading run-scorer in first-class cricket. He aggregated 61760 runs in 1325 innings (834 matches).
Record-Breaking Quick Hundreds and Six-Hitting Feats in FC Cricket
Glen Chapple (Lancashire) and Mark Pettini (Essex) have smashed the joint fastest century in first-class cricket. Both needed just 27 balls to reach the triple-digit figures against Glamorgan (1993) and Leicestershire (2003) in the County Championship.
Hyderabad’s Tanmay Agarwal has smashed the most sixes in a first-class innings. He scored 26 sixes in his 366 runs off 181 balls against Arunachal Pradesh in the 2024 Ranji Trophy match.
Agarwal reached the 300-run mark in 147 balls, making it the fastest triple century in first-class cricket.
Mohammad Akram is the youngest batter to score a century in first-class cricket. He was 12 years and 217 days old when he scored 111 for Khairpur against Quetta in the 1968 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy fixture.
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