Move over Lara, here's an Oliver who wants some more

On Sunday the 18-year-old smashed what is understood to be a one-day world record unbeaten 329 off just 144 balls for his Horsforth Sunday team against opponents Upper Wharfedale at their picturesque ground at Grassington in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.

The fifth generation of his family to represent the Airedale and Wharfedale club, Oliver struck 27 sixes and 28 fours, but yesterday was at pains to stress that he was not slogging in what he described as the "best day of my life".

"I was playing proper cricket shots but my bat, hand-made by Nick Nixon, was absolutely pinging the ball around," said Oliver, a student at Woodhouse Grove School at Apperley Bridge, near Bradford.

The knock helped Horsforth to a league record 419-5 in 40 overs in the third team Ian Chappell Cup first round. It was in complete contrast to the first team, which had crawled to 44-7 in 50 overs against Colton the previous day.

The Sunday team's huge score also came after they had been asked to bat by home captain Richard Foster, whose side replied with 169 all out.

But the troubles did not end there for Mr Foster, as Oliver explained.

"I was so close to hitting six sixes in one over. Their captain came on bowling off-spin down the leg side and the first three balls went for six, the fourth went for a one-bounce four and the other two went for sixes."

He added: "It was the best day of my life. My best previous score was 100 not out for Horsforth Under-17s. I offered only once chance when I was 140. I went for a straight drive but skied the ball and the wicketkeeper called for it. However, it caught in the wind and drifted and he did not get to it.

"I was asked to bowl but my captain, Phil Lines, changed his mind and said I'd done enough for one day.

"I suppose the school trip to the West Indies at Easter helped inspire me as we went to both the Recreation Ground where Brian Lara made his 400 and the new Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua."

He added: "I've played cricket since I was five at Bront House Junior School and I would love to become a professional cricketer – I've represented the league at Joe Lumb level and I've got Yorkshire Under-19 trials later in the summer.

"My dad Sean has been my biggest influence but John Pickford, who is a legend at Horsforth, has helped greatly with my coaching along with Ian Frost and (former Yorkshire and England player) Arnie Sidebottom at school and, before him, former England batsman Graham Roope, who sadly died the other year."

Upper Wharfedale's first team captain Dave Eggleston was one of the smattering of spectators at the ground on Sunday and he said: "It's a phenomenal achievement and even though we are not the best side in the world the runs were still to get.

"Ours is one of the smallest grounds in the league but the sixes would have been sixes on any ground. If you talk to any of our lads, there was nothing to be shamefaced about, they were just happy to have been part of a match that witnessed such an incredible innings."

Woodhouse Grove head of cricket Ian Frost said: "I'm delighted for him. He is a very correct young batsman and although he is not very big, he does strike the ball hard.

"He is one of our technically most correct and reliable cricketers at school and has improved significantly in the last 18 months."

Record knock puts batsman with game's elite

Some of cricket's greatest individual one-day innings:

329* – Oliver Hardaker, Horsforth v Upper Wharfedale, 2010

206 – AI Kallicharran, Warwickshire v Oxfordshire, 1984

203 – AD Brown, Surrey v Hampshire, 1997

201 – VJ Wells, Leicestershire v Berkshire, 1996

200* – Sachin Tendulkar, India v South Africa, 2010

198* – Graham Gooch, Essex v Sussex, 1982

194* – Charles Coventry, Zimbabwe v Bangladesh, 2009

194 – Saeed Anwar, Pakistan v India, 1997

189* – Vivian Richards, West Indies v England, 1984

189 – Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka v India, 1999

Yorkshire's highest one-day innings:

191 – Darren Lehmann v Nottinghamshire at Scarborough, 2001

160 – Matthew Wood v Devon at Exmouth, 2004

148 – Anthony McGrath v Somerset at Taunton, 2006

148 – Craig White v Leicestershire, Leicester, 1997.

* Denotes not out.