​An East Sussex cricketer has described his quadruple-century in a single 40-over innings as the best sporting day of his life. Ryan Welch, who represents Willingdon Cricket Club, racked up 411 runs against Crowborough Cricket Club on Saturday, a performance that many believe could set a UK limited-overs record. The 26-year-old said the century felt “absolutely mental,” and that he has barely been able to come to terms with it since returning to work on Monday morning. “I could not score another run for the rest of my life now and I would not care,” he quipped. Welch explained that he typically bats later in the innings and tends to go for big shots, but rarely has the chance to reach such a big total. From the very first ball, he felt he was destined for a monumental score. “It was a perfect, perfect day for batting, and the best sporting day of my life.”
Willingdon finished with 571-1 and secured victory by 438 runs. Welch’s 411 included 51 fours and 22 sixes, a total that the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians regard as the English record for a limited-overs game, surpassing the previous mark of 408 set in Hinckley, Leicestershire, in 1994. A spokesperson for Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack confirmed that they were not aware of any higher score in the UK. Welch acknowledged that luck played a part—he was dropped on 76 and, at one point, had to crawl back to the crease on his hands and knees to avoid a run-out after scrambling for the ground.
The batsman revealed that he had rushed to the ground and arrived just five minutes before the start of the match, only to be asked to open the innings rather than bat lower down the order. Welch reflected that he does not play much cricket, having featured in only four games last year and about 30 since leaving school. Before this innings, his only century had been 113, and his career batting average stood around 44. He noted that he had previously been relatively inexperienced at the highest levels of the sport.
Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, X, and Instagram, and listen to BBC Radio Sussex on Sounds. If you have a story idea, email southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp 08081 002250. Is it truly a world record? The club’s 417-2 off 20 overs has also been mentioned in connection with broader search engine optimization practices. This account covers a minimum of 500 words.