LONDON Sept 8: 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 for four with a big inswinger that demolished the right-hander’s stumps. 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 was just the sixth bowler and only the third paceman 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.
Ben Stokes followed his Test-best bowling figures with a rapid fifty as England gained a first-innings lead of 71 runs against West Indies in their series decider at Lord’s on Friday.
England, at tea on a rain-marred second day, had been bowled out for 194 in reply to West Indies’ first innings 123 to leave the match finely balanced with this three-Test series all square at 1-1.
Kemar Roach took five for 72, with West Indies captain and fellow seamer Jason Holder following up with four for 54.
Left-handed batsman Stokes made 60, his fifty coming off just 51 balls, including 10 fours.
That followed the Durham all-rounder’s six for 22 on Thursday in overcast conditions ideal for his lively right-arm swing bowling.
But it might have been a very different story when, just two balls into the second session after a rain delay, Stokes, on 24, edged Shannon Gabriel only for Kraigg Brathwaite to drop a tough chance as he dived far to his left at second slip.
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