OTD: First time ever in cricket to score over 500 runs in a single day's play

It was a rare day at Lord's. On June 29, 1924, for the first time in the history of cricket, over 500 runs were scored in a single day's play. The historic record was set by the host team, England, especially thanks to Jack Hobbs, Herbert Sutcliffe, Frank Woolley, and Patsy Hendren.

Three batters of the top four in the English batting order scored centuries. The opening pair between Hobbs and Sutcliffe stitched a record-breaking 268-run partnership itself. After one down, England again successfully created a 142-run partnership. With the loss of only a couple of wickets, they got 531 runs on the board and then decided to declare the innings.

That unthinkable total was enough to defeat their opponent, South Africa. England won the match by an inning and 18 runs. South Africa, in the first innings, put 273 on the scoreboard; naturally, the total would be considered enough to put up a hard fight. But out of the blue, England produced 531 and placed SA under an excessive amount of pressure. In the second innings, the Herbie Taylor-led team managed to have only 240, and England won the match comfortably. 

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Sri Lanka touched the record in 2002 as a single team

The record, five hundred-plus runs in a single day by a team, was untouched until Sri Lanka took 509 in a day off Bangladesh early in 2002. 

But in all, 522 runs were scored during a match between England and India 12 years later.