Anderson and Broad break McGrath-Warner’s record; Become first pair to claim 1002 Test Wickets
England’s Stuart Broad and James Anderson claimed the record for the most Test wickets as teammates during the ongoing first Test match against New Zealand at the Bay Oval.
This record-breaking day saw England create history, overtaking Australian legends Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath in the process.
In the final session of the match, Stuart Broad clean-bowled Devon Conway early on. This secured the 1002nd Test scalp as teammates for Anderson and Broad.
This was a significant milestone for the pair, as they overtook Warne and McGrath’s long-standing record of 1001 Test wickets as teammates.
Anderson-Broad claim 1002 Test Wickets as pair
Anderson and Broad are also among a group of just seven players to have amassed more than 500 wickets individually at the Test level. Anderson is England’s leading Test wicket-taker, with 621 wickets under his belt. Broad is the country’s second-highest wicket-taker, with 523 wickets to his name.
Broad has a unique ability to take wickets in clusters, and he has achieved five-wicket hauls 18 times in his career. Anderson, on the other hand, has taken five-wicket hauls 30 times in his Test career, making him the only fast bowler in the world to have achieved this feat.
The ICC reports that Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralidharan and Chaminda Vaas are third in the list with 895 scalps together. In fourth place are the West Indies duo Courtney Walsh and Curtley Ambrose, with 762 wickets.
James Anderson debuted at Lord’s against Zimbabwe in May 2003. The evergreen 40-year-old had to wait until the end of 2007 when a then 21-year-old Stuart Broad won his first cap against Sri Lanka in Colombo. Since then, both Anderson and Broad have proven themselves to be among the most formidable quicks in Test cricket.
England’s Skipper Breaks Records
England’s skipper Ben Stokes also had a day to remember, surpassing the record held by England’s current coach Brendon McCullum for the most sixes in Test cricket. Stokes hit his 108th six on the third day of the match, and later added one more six to his tally, bringing his total to 109 sixes. This now puts him in the top three batters in the history of Test cricket who have hammered over 100 sixes during their careers.
England’s current Test team is one of the strongest in the world, with world-class players like Anderson, Broad, Stokes, and Joe Root. This record-breaking day against New Zealand has cemented the place of Anderson and Broad in cricketing history. The match against New Zealand also saw the emergence of new players like Ollie Robinson, who made an impressive debut. The future looks bright for England’s Test team, and they will undoubtedly continue to entertain cricket fans worldwide with their performances.
