Schoolboy Armaan Jaffer sets record by scoring 498

Mumbai which has produced several record-breaking batsmen, found yet another child prodigy when Armaan Jaffer, nephew of Ranji Trophy captain and former India opener Wasim, compiled the highest-ever score of 498 in school cricket history.

Armaan Jaffer, playing for Bandra school Rizvi Springfield against Raja Shivaji of Dadar, struck as many as 77 fours in 490 balls at the Karnatak Sports Association ground at Cross Maidan in South Mumbai before he was caught behind two short of a well-deserved 500.

It was a chanceless knock by Jaffer in his school's Giles (under 14) Shield league match. The knock obliterated the earlier record of 366 that stood in the name of Parikshat Walsankar of IES Sune Guruji, the English medium school of Raja Shivaji Vidhyalaya.

Incidentally Jaffer's 498 also bettered the record set last year of 439 by Sarfraz Khan in the Harris (under 16) Shield inter-schools tournament.

Jaffer, who was 295 not out last evening, later said Sachin Tendulkar, who had created the world record school-level partnership of 664 with Vinod Kambli in the Harris Shield, was his idol.

"Sachin Tendulkar is my idol. I was not looking to set records but wanted to bat as long as possible," he said after his marathon knock lasting more than eight hours.

Jaffer's innings helped Rizvi declare their innings closed at 800 for 8.

by DNA, img: Mumbai Mirror

Dec 23,2010