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On This Day in 1959, Hanif Mohammad set the record for the highest First Class score, when he scored 499 for Karachi v Bahawalpur, a record which stood until West Indies legend Brian Lara hit 501* in 1994.
Hanif Mohammad’s marvelous innings of 499 comprised 64 boundaries. (Image: ICC/X, formerly Twitter)
One of the finest players ever to represent the Pakistan cricket team, Hanif Mohammad, was known for his spectacular batting. Hanif represented Pakistan in 55 Tests and featured in 238 first-class matches. In Test cricket, Hanif scored 3915 runs at an average of 43.98. In first-class games, he recorded an average of 52.32, scoring 55 centuries and 66 half-centuries.
In international cricket, Hanif has 12 centuries and 15 half-centuries under his belt. His highest Test score of 337 came against the West Indies in 1958. It still is the longest Test innings (970 minutes) in the history of the game.
On this day (January 11) in 1959, Hanif produced another epic knock in the semi-final of the 1958-59 Quaid-e-Azam trophy. The Quaid-e-Azam Trophy is Pakistan’s premier domestic first-class cricket tournament.
66 years back, on this day, Hanif Mohammad succeeded in surpassing the great Don Bradman’s score of 452, the then-highest first-class score, by playing a mammoth innings of 499.
Hanif’s remarkable innings came in the 1958-59 Quaid-e-Azam trophy semi-final played between Bahawalpur and Karachi. Hanif’s record stood for 35 years until West Indies legend Brian Lara achieved a new milestone scoring an unbeaten 501 for Warwickshire against Durham.
Lara’s record-breaking innings had come in June 1994.
Coming back to the 1958-59 Quaid-e-Azam trophy semi-final, batting first, Bahawalpur posted a total of 185. Bahawalpur skipper Mohammad Ramzan emerged as the highest scorer for his side playing a vital knock of 64. For Karachi, Ikram Elahi claimed four wickets and Mahmood Hussain earned three scalps.
Karachi, in response, came up with solid batting and declared their innings after scoring 772 runs at the loss of seven wickets.
Hanif Mohammad’s marvelous innings of 499 comprised 64 boundaries. Hanif had a brilliant chance to score 500 but he missed out on the milestone by a single run after he was run out. Powered by Hanif Mohammad’s epic batting, Karachi managed to breach the 700-run mark. Wallis Mathias also contributed with the bat significantly scoring a century for Karachi.
Bahawalpur failed to respond with the bat on a promising note as they were bowled out for 108 in the second innings, thus handing Karachi a resounding victory by a margin of innings and 479 runs. Ikram Elahi once again excelled with the ball, earning three scalps in the second innings.
- Location :
Karachi, Pakistan
