Justin Langer has overtaken Sir Don Bradman as the highest scoring Australian in first-class history.
Somerset captain becomes highest scoring Australian
Justin Langer has overtaken Sir Don Bradman as the highest scoring Australian in first-class history.
Langer, 38, went past Bradman's total of 28,067 runs on the third day of Somerset's LV County Championship fixture against Worcestershire at New Road.
The left-hander required 20 minutes of the morning session to score the six runs he needed after resuming on 89 - going past the milestone with a cover drive for four off Matt Mason from the ninth delivery he faced.
Mason eventually dismissed his fellow Australian for 107.
Langer, now in his 18th year of first-class cricket since making his debut for Western Australia, required 615 innings compared to only 338 by Bradman.
After an earlier spell in county cricket with Middlesex, Langer made his debut for Somerset in 2006 and became captain in the following season.
Born in Perth, he also captained Western Australia up to the 2006-07 season.
He played 105 Tests for Australia between 1993-2007 and formed a hugely successful opening partnership with Matthew Hayden.
Since his scoring a century against Tasmania in his last match for WA in March 2008, Langer has played exclusively for Somerset.
Thrilled
"I'm thrilled to beat the record," said Langer, who was given a bottle of champagne by Worcestershire to mark the achievement.
"Not so much to go past him (Bradman) because he is in a league of his own. But just scoring this many runs is a tribute to having played for such a long time and having worked so hard to score lots of runs."
Langer became more aware of the impending record as the season unfolded.
"I would never have thought about this target," he added, "but a lot of people have reminded me of it over the last couple of months. But I've got other milestones I'd like to tick off throughout this summer."
When he calls time on his playing days has yet to decided.
"I still feel I've got some cricket left in me and I'm enjoying this project at Somerset," he said.
"From where we were three years ago to be challenging in all first division competitions is really good."
