Lara increases double hundred tally to nine

MULTAN, Nov 22 (Reuters) West Indian captain Brian Lara notched up his ninth double hundred before being dismissed for 216 on the fourth day of the second test against Pakistan today.

The 37-year-old Trinidadian left hander, the leading scorer in test cricket with 11,904 runs, is behind only Australian great Sir Donald Bradman on the all time list of batsmen who have scored the most double hundreds in tests.

Bradman who played 52 tests made 12 double hundreds.

Lara has also overtaken Bradman in having the highest number of scores in excess of 150 runs.

The Australian great achieved this feat 18 times, Lara has now done it 19 times.

The elegant batsman also holds the record for the highest test score (400 not out) and (501) in first class cricket.

Lara who has scored a total of 34 hundreds in 130 matches is the only man to reclaim the world test batting record when he scored an astonishing unbeaten 400 in the final test against England in Antigua in 2004.

He had scored 375 against the same team in 1994 to break Sir Garfield Sobers record for highest test scorer of 365.

Double hundreds by Brian Lara.

277 v Aus at Sydney Jan, 1993 375 v Eng at St Johns Apr, 1994 213 v Aus at Kingston Mar, 1999 221 v SL at Colombo Nov-Dec, 2001 209 v SL at Gros Islet June, 2003 202 v SA at Johannesburg Dec, 2003 400 v Eng at St Johns* Apr, 2004 226 v Aus at Adelaide Nov, 2005 216 v Pak at Multan Nov, 2006 * = not out Top ten scorers of test double hundreds Donald Bradman (Aus) 12 (52 tests) Brian Lara (WI) 9 (130) Walter Hammond (Eng) 7 (85) Marvan Atapattu (SL) 6 (88) Javed Miandad (Pak) 6 (124) Rahul Dravid (Ind) 5 (104) Kumar Sangakkara (SL) 4 (62) Mohammad Yousuf (Pak) 4 (71) Zaheer Abbas (Pak) 4 (78) Len Hutton (Eng) 4 (79) REUTERS DH VV1310