Brian Lara pays tribute on passing of ‘friend’ who helped him score 501

West Indies batting legend Brian Lara has paid rich tributes to his former Warwickshire teammate Keith Piper who has died at the age of 56 following a battle with cancer. Piper spent 16 years with the Bears and was a key part of the club's treble-winning side in 1994.

That year, Piper claimed 66 red-ball dismissals as a wicketkeeper, including a county record seven catches in an innings against Essex and scored a career-best unbeaten 116 against Durham at Edgbaston, supporting Lara in his world-record innings of 501 not out.

That century was one of two, along with 14 half-centuries, in his 4,618 first-class runs.

In total, he claimed 540 first-class dismissals, including more than 500 catches, and added another 308 dismissals in one-day games.

Piper helped Warwickshire win 10 trophies between his debut in 1989 and his final season in 2005.

Although he never played for England, Piper's form in 1994 earned him a call up to an A tour to India that winter and another one to Pakistan the following year, after the Bears won the County Championship and Natwest Trophy.

Late on Wednesday, Lara wrote a heartfelt tribute on social media hailing Piper not just as a fine cricketer but also as a great human being.

“Heartbroken to hear of Keith’s passing,” Lara wrote on Facebook.

“When I look at this photograph [of the two of them hugging after Lara reached the milestone], I don’t see a cricket match or a scorecard. I see a great friend, a teammate, and a moment of genuine joy shared between two people who loved the game and the camaraderie it brought.”

Lara then wrote about the kind of person Keith was.

“I was exhausted, and you kindly insisted on driving me to London that evening. We stopped in Oxford to visit a Trini friend of mine and, once we got back on the motorway, we laughed and chatted until the day finally got the better of me and I suddenly nodded off,” Lara wrote.

“‘BC [Brian Charles], wake up we’re in London’

“That was the next thing I heard.

“Keith was one of the good ones, warm-hearted, loyal, and someone whose presence made the dressing room a better place to be. The years may pass, but the memories of those shared moments, the laughter, and the friendships forged through cricket never leave us.

“I feel incredibly fortunate to have known him and to have been a part of his journey on earth. My thoughts and deepest condolences are with his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him.

Rest easy, Keith. You will be remembered with great affection and missed by many.