The Prince of Port of Spain

When it comes to the best knocks in the annals of cricket history, no batsman has a collective that can be compared to Brian Charles Lara. The "Prince of Port of Spain'"has butchered bowlers across the world, from Australia to India to England, both on home soil and foreign territory in the Test and one-day formats.

Breaking records seemed easy for the diminutive batsman, all via dazzling displays of offensive innovation. As Lara turns 50, let's dissect his time at the crease and revisit some of his biggest spectacles – long, gruelling master-class sessions which few have come close to replicating.

375 (April 18, 1994 vs. England at St. John's, Antigua)

This series was one of the more positive ones the West Indies experienced in the Caribbean in the '90s. After winning the One Day Internationals 3-2, the Windies took a 3-1 lead in the Tests before this iconic showdown. The match ended in a draw but Lara sent the English off with a brutal lesson in shot selection as he broke Sir Gary Sobers' 36-year-old record of 365 not out.

With the Windies batting first, Lara entered the third day on 320 with his side at 502 for four. However, he didn't plan on inching past Sobers, as Andrew Caddick would find out. The Santa Cruz superstar took a liking to him on the morning, evidenced by an exquisite cover-drive which equalled the record. The majestic moment would come with a pull, one of Lara's signature shots, off Chris Lewis which sent the crowd into raptures and sparked a pitch invasion. He was greeted by Sobers himself, compounding that no matter if it were broken, this record would be timeless.

Lara faced 538 balls and stayed in the crease for nearly 13 hours, guiding the Caribbean outfit to 593 for five. When he nicked Caddick behind to 'keeper Jack Russell, the innings was declared, sending him back to the stands to bask in the glory of an innings that contained 45 fours but not a single six. It showed how deft Lara was, running in between the wickets like an ant scurrying with his food, and reminding the fraternity frequent ones and twos could bring world giants to their knees.

501 not out (June 6, 1994 vs. Durham at Edgbaston, England)

Not even two months later, Lara was at it again, taming Englishmen. But this time he did it in front their own crowd. Playing for Warwickshire County Cricket Club, Lara gave his home fans something to remember as he made Hanif Mohammad's 499 a thing of the past. On the 50th anniversary of the D-Day landings, the left-hander stamped his name into the First Class cricket record books with a historical 501 not out.

It was a nervy journey, however, as he had a few near-misses. Lara was bowled by a no-ball on 12 and as fate would keep tempting him, he managed to be dropped by wicketkeeper Chris Scott on 18. Ironically, rumour has it Scott told his teammates in the slip cordon, "Oh dear, he'll probably go on and get a hundred." And so, he set about achieving immortality in the Britannic Assurance County Championship, responding to a mammoth 556 for eight declared by Durham. But as was his norm back then, like a hungry lion, Lara devoured every loose ball in his path, turning good balls into terrible ones along the way.

He lasted nearly eight hours in the crease en route to his side making 810 for four in response. This time, though, he was as aggressive as could be, hammering his record-breaking innings off just 427 balls with 62 fours and ten sixes. There was only one ball left when he smashed John Morris through the covers for four to bring up the magic 500, all on a final day where he whacked 174 runs before lunch to show he was indeed in a hurry.

277 (January 5, 1993 vs. Australia at Sydney)

Lara heralded his arrival on the world stage in phenomenal fashion with this innings. Having played just four Tests prior to this, he'd go on to leave skipper Richie Richardson a spectator, and Aussie skipper, Allan Border, calling him "relentless." Down 1-0 in the Tests, following scores of 58, 0, 52 and 4, Lara would mix flair, style, intimidation and clinical shots to pummel his way to his first century in Windies colours. A hundred wouldn't be enough, though.

In approximately eight hours in the wicket, you could sense a knack for producing gems.

With the Windies under immense pressure as the New Year passed, the Sir Frank Worrell trophy seemed far away but Lara had the remedy – a blitz of astounding strokes, through the off-side in particular, with authoritative punches, flamboyant cuts and drives at a brisk pace too.

Many felt Lara would have broken Sobers' world record that day had he not been run out after uncertainty by Carl Hooper at the other end. Every shot was as glorious as it was intimidating, turning the course of the match as the Windies made 606 to Australia's 503. This draw would inspire them to flip the series and win 2-1, with Lara setting the tone for what ensued.

His maiden century later inspired him to name his daughter Sydney.

153 not out (March 30, 1999 vs. Australia at Bridgetown, Barbados)

Lara's 153 is held dearly in the minds of all West Indians. After being trashed by South Africa, modern cricket was falling out of love with the Windies but with Lara as skipper, many imagined and prayed for better days. An undignified pay stand-off overshadowed the 1st Test defeat to the Aussies in Trinidad, but come the 3rd Test, the skipper showed a defiant Lara was a dangerous Lara.

The Aussies made 490, the Windies 329 (of which Lara made eight), then the visitors scored 146 all out. Set 308 to win, the hosts got to 311 for nine with Lara unbeaten on 153 and reiterating why, as good as he was in one-day cricket, people fawn over his Test career. This knock took 256 balls, six hours, 19 fours and a lone six, but it was Lara's doggedness and ability to make the unbelievable happen that saw the series drawn 2-2.

Inspired by childhood friend Nicholas Gomez and NBA legend Michael Jordan, Lara visualised the win, getting 63 to win with Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose to seal the triumph – no easy task. At a time where statistics was often an inadequate measure of cricketing, Lara showed he could remarkably grind and toil. It was an extraordinary labour of love, emphasised by sheer crisp hitting of the ball into the gaps.

400 not out (April 12, 2004 vs. England at St. John's, Antigua)

Ten years, to the week, since he scored the 375, Lara was back at his old stomping ground in Antigua against England. However, the circumstances were much different. He was a month shy of 35 and his career seemed to be in decline, matching the Windies' slump and a lack of able support. But six months after Aussie Matthew Hayden scored 380, Lara became the first man to reclaim the Test record. In a drawn Test, West Indies made 751 for five declared, and we saw shades of the old Lara reigniting hope for fans of the maroon.

He rallied for 778 minutes, facing 582 balls en route to 400 not out with 43 fours and four sixes. At this point, England were up 3-0 and Lara was fighting tooth and nail in this 4th Test to avoid a whitewash. For him, it wasn't about personal ego, as much as it was about West Indian pride. Cricket politics seemingly was taking its toll on the batting maestro, who it was said was unable to lead as captain, but this record brought that infectious smile back. It was a knock epitomising mental strength against the bullish Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison and Andrew Flintoff, reminding them old dogs can bite too. It was only fitting that he'd end unbeaten with a record that still lives on today, because as England found out when Lara's in the zone he's invincible and that's why he went from prince to king to legend of the game.