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Cricket

England's James Anderson joins 500 club

The Lancashire swing bowler skittled West Indies' Brathwaite to bring up his 500th test wicket, and become only the sixth player to achieve the feat.

Cricket - England vs West Indies - Third Test - London, Britain - September 8, 2017   England's James Anderson celebrates the wicket of West Indies' Kraigg Brathwaite and his 500th test wicket   Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers
ANDREW BOYERSAction Images via Reuters

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 inswinger that demolished the right-hander's middle stump.

Anderson celebrates
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Anderson celebratesGLYN KIRKAFP

Ovation for James Anderson

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 joins elite group of test bowlers

Anderson is 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.

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.