5 records that have not been broken in over 100 years

#5 Highest score in Test debut innings (1903)

Foster's 287 remains the highest score in a debut Test innings

Reginald ‘Tip’ Foster was born in a sporting family in the year 1878. He, along with six of his brothers, represented Worcestershire. Hence, for some time, the county was comically referred to as ‘Fostershire’.

Tip was the most talented sportsperson in his family. He even represented England in five international soccer matches.

Prior to his Test debut in 1903, Foster had already amassed a great number of runs in county cricket. He was honoured with the ‘Wisden Cricketer of The Year’ award in 1901.

Foster then concentrated on his profession as a stockbroker and played first-class cricket sparingly.

He, however, did enough to be chosen for the tour to Australia in 1903. Foster played well against the Australian state teams and was selected in the playing XI for the Sydney Test.

Australia scored 285 runs in their first innings. When Foster walked out to bat, England had stumbled to 73/3. He put on 245 runs with the last two batsmen and was the last man to get out. His score of 287 was higher than what Australia had scored in their first innings.

England went on to win the Test match. Foster’s 287 was the highest score in Test cricket at that time. Till date, it remains the highest score in a debut Test innings. The closest someone has come to breaking this record was Jacques Rudolph, who scored 222 against Bangladesh on his debut in 2003.

With the improved run-rates at which teams bat nowadays, it is probable that someday some youngster will improve upon this record which has stood for 114 years now.

After all, records are meant to be broken.