Australians fete their latest world record holder

Hayden likes what he sees in the papers © Getty Images

It wasn't the greatest day on which to break a world record. Australia was switched on to the one-year anniversary of the Bali bomb blast and the start of the Rugby World Cup, but Matthew Hayden and his innings of 380 at Perth managed to elbow their way into the consciousness of Australians when they awoke to read their daily newspapers today.

Peter Roebuck, in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age:

"Matthew Hayden has put his name in the record books alongside the sweetest names the game has known.

"None of them, not Don Bradman nor Garry Sobers nor Len Hutton nor Brian Lara, has scored more runs in a Test innings than this tall and muscular Queenslander. He has proved himself worthy of this company.

"None of them has batted with the command shown by the Australian opener when his feet are moving. None of them hits the ball as hard or with a straighter bat. None is as strong, none was blessed with greater stamina. None was as full of desire in the middle years of their careers.

"Hayden had to wait a long time before he was treated with the respect the rest claimed as young men. Dismissed not so long ago as a slow-witted banana-bender, Hayden has emerged as a batsman of beautiful brutality. Sustaining a plunder that began on the Indian subcontinent in 2001, he wore down and eventually destroyed an attack that could hardly be called a defence."

But Roebuck also made the point: "Through the glory of the moment, though, comes a nagging sense of unease. What does it all mean? Take the manner in which the two most significant landmarks were passed. By the time Hayden had reached 334, the Zimbabweans were on their knees and Trevor Gripper was sending down undemanding off-breaks...

"Of course the notion that Bradman and the rest scored their runs against tight and fresh attacks operating on helpful pitches is false. Nonetheless, there was always a feeling the teams belonged on the same field. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the teams appearing in Perth. Test cricket has compromised its most precious asset - its legitimacy.

"Although it was hardly Hayden's fault, this was not so much a contest as a demolition. Among the Zimbabweans only the captain has earned his stripes as a Test player. Hayden was not wrenching runs from a reluctant opponent. He was taking sweets from a child. Test status has been spread around in an attempt to widen the game and to secure votes on the governing body."

Malcolm Conn, The Australian: "Rejected by the Australian Cricket Academy in his youth, Matthew Hayden yesterday strode to the pinnacle of greatness with the highest score in 126 years of Test history.

"Driven by an iron will and a refusal to accept failure, the powerful Queenslander's resurrection became complete in Perth yesterday when he scored 380 in the first Test against Zimbabwe, beating Brian Lara's 375 scored against England in Antigua in April, 1994.

"Yesterday was the ultimate triumph for a bold young man considered by experts who followed his early development as too ungainly and heavy-footed for Test cricket."

Robert Craddock, The Daily Telegraph: "Fifteen years after he was told he had no future as a first-class cricketer, Matthew Hayden yesterday claimed the game's most coveted individual record . . then dedicated it to the memory of Bali.

"The Queensland outdoors boy scored a world record 380 against Zimbabwe in the first Test at the WACA, beating the previous highest Test score of 375 scored by West Indian Brian Lara against England in Antigua in 1994.

"Modern cricket has become overloaded with numbing statistics but this is truly special and quite appropriate that arguably the greatest side in cricket history now has a milestone that will stand as eternal testament to the cavalier way they play the game.

"The farmer's son from Kingaroy, who still finishes most of his sentences with 'eh?' has gone where none of the 2367 men to play the game have gone in 1637 Tests since cricket began in 1877...

"A modest opposition and a lifeless wicket were the portents for a Hayden hurricane but, even given the conditions, some of his power play was simply awesome."

John Townsend, The West Australian: "RECORDS are made to be broken but Matthew Hayden used a sledgehammer to smash the Test batting mark at the WACA Ground yesterday.

"While Zimbabwe wilted but never surrendered under the most clinical batting barrage in Test history, Hayden guaranteed himself cricketing immortality. His 380, the 17th triple-century in Test ranks and the highest in nearly 130 years and 1660 matches, has given him a raft of records and confirmed his standing as one of the world's three best batsmen. ..

"Few observers doubt Zimbabwe is competing out of its league during this inaugural Test series but Hayden only had one opponent - himself - as he batted flawlessly for more than 10 hours."