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Brian Lara went about his business in a somewhat different manner yesterday in more than one way.

Keen to have a meaningful practice session, the champion left-hander journeyed to Queen's Park to have a session in the nets before the third day of the third Cable & Wireless Test at Kensington Oval.

It therefore meant he could not join his teammates for customary warm-ups at the Oval before the start of each day's play.

And when he stepped onto the middle, he was not using the usual Lara line of bats to which we have grown accustomed in recent years following his world records for the highest individual Test and first-class scores.

Instead, he had a new bat, manufactured to his specifications by Intertops.com Cricket Bat Company, which announced yesterday that Lara had agreed to be the first player to endorse the company's new line of bats.

It was immediately noticeable that Lara approached his task in the middle with due restraint and diligence. He went to the crease at 11:25 a.m. and by tea, he had carefully progressed to 35 in 2 1/2 hours of application.

On resumption, it was vintage Lara. The boundaries started to flow and he seemed certain to complete a 15th Test century.

But when he reached 83, he miscued a pull from Jacques Kallis and gave a catch to mid-on. The disappointment on his face was noticeable.

One wonders if the new bat had anything to do with Lara's brilliance after tea?

What's certain is that David Folb, a marketing consultant to Intertops.com Cricket Bat Company, is delighted that Lara has agreed to the deal.

"When we set out to sign a player to endorse our new bats, we wanted someone who has world renown and would best represent our home region," he said.

By signing Brian Lara, we feel that we have signed an agreement with the most charismatic cricket player in the world, one who holds several world records and is a true diplomat for the West Indies.

In addition to signing Lara, the company, which is headquartered in Antigua under the supervision of former West Indies captain Richie Richardson, has also reached endorsement agreements with fast bowlers Courtney Walsh and Mervyn Dillon.

To commemorate the occasion, the company will donate EC$100 to the West Indies Cricket Board's Development Fund for every run scored by a player using an Intertops.com bat in the fourth Test at the Antigua Recreation Ground, starting on Friday.

© The Barbados Nation