A former Cambridge News journalist now working in New Zealand has written a biography of cricketing great Brian Lara.

James Fuller worked for the News a decade ago and was awarded the Young Journalist of the Year award by the Newspaper Society in 2002.

He later moved to Lara’s homeland of Trinidad and Tobago where he worked for six years.

Lara, who retired in 2008, holds the world record scores in Test cricket (400 not out), first-class cricket (501 not out) and the most runs in a test match over (28).

Said James:  “I wanted to write about Lara’s career from the Caribbean perspective, as that had never been done before.

“Living in the Caribbean gave me the time and opportunity to access people who were close to him at every stage of his life and career: coaches, teachers.”

“I also wanted to transmit that sense of vibrancy and fun which is so much a part of the Trinidadian culture; a culture which helped shape one of the greatest batsman the world has ever seen,” said Fuller.

“Being a cricket fanatic of limited ability, writing a book was also the only way my name would ever be mentioned in the same breath as Brian Lara’s.”

After his spell in the Caribbean, James moved on to New Zealand where he now works as a senior writer on the Bay of Plenty Times in Tauranga.

‘Caribbean Lives: Brian Lara’, published by Macmillan, is available on Amazon.