Anderson becomes first Englishman to take 500 Test wickets

Published September 8, 2017
England's James Anderson celebrates taking the wicket of West Indies' Kieran Powell for 45 runs during the second day of the third international Test match between England and West Indies at Lords cricket ground in London on September 8, 2017. —AFP
England's James Anderson celebrates taking the wicket of West Indies' Kieran Powell for 45 runs during the second day of the third international Test match between England and West Indies at Lords cricket ground in London on September 8, 2017. —AFP

James Anderson became the first England bowler to take 500 Test wickets and just the sixth in history when he dismissed West Indies opener Kraigg Brathwaite on the second day of the third Test at Lord's on Friday.

Anderson, who started West Indies' second innings on 499 Test wickets, reached the landmark when, with the last delivery of his second over, he bowled Brathwaite between bat and pad for four with a big in-swinger that demolished the right-hander's middle stump.

A capacity crowd at Lord's rose to give Anderson a standing ovation, with the Lancashire swing bowler having started his Test career by taking five wickets in his debut innings against Zimbabwe at the 'home of cricket' in 2003.

Anderson's latest wicket strengthened England's bid for a 2-1 series-clinching win in this three-match contest.

West Indies were now six for one in their second innings, having conceded a first-innings lead of 71 after Ben Stokes made a quickfire 60.

At the fall of Brathwaite's wicket, Anderson had innings figures of one for one in two overs.

Anderson is just the sixth bowler and only the third pacer to have taken 500 Test wickets.

He is also the only active cricketer in that elite group, with the spin trio of Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan (800 Test wickets), Australia's Shane Warne (708), India's Anil Kumble (619), as well as Australia seamer Glenn McGrath (563) and West Indies fast bowler Courtney Walsh (519) now all retired.

Walsh, the first bowler to 500 Test wickets back in 2001, also took 129 matches to reach the landmark figure.

McGrath is the only other seamer to reach 500 and he, like Anderson, also did it at Lord's in the opening Ashes clash of 2005.

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