James Anderson made cricket history when he became the first English bowler to reach 500 Test wickets.
England's all-time leading wicket-taker added the one more he still needed in West Indies' second innings at Lord's, completing the memorable feat of great skill and endurance in the 129th Test of his 14-year career to date when he clean bowled Kraigg Brathwaite.
The 35-year-old therefore joins elite global company, one of just six bowlers in the all-time list with 500 to his name.
When he knocked back Brathwaite's middle-stump early on the second evening of the third Investec Test, Anderson immediately raised his right arm to salute the crowd and then ran to his former captain Alastair Cook in the slips to begin celebrations of another illustrious milestone.
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He has joined two seam-bowling greats, Australia's Glenn McGrath and West Indies' Courtney Walsh, in the 500 club – with Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan top of the pile on an astounding 800 wickets and Shane Warne and Anil Kumble also above the pace trio.
There was an extra symmetry to Anderson's feat, because it came on the same ground where he took his first Test wicket on debut - Zimbabwe opener Mark Vermeulen, also bowled, on the way to figures of five for 73 in May 2003.
This time, he was bolstering England's prospects of a series-sealing victory in this deciding match as the West Indies found themselves six for one after conceding a first-innings lead of 71 in a low-scoring contest.
James Anderson's Test milestone wickets
- 100th - Jacques Kallis 2009
- 200th - Peter Siddle 2010
- 300th - Peter Fulton 2013
- 384th - Denesh Ramdin 2015
- 400th - Martin Guptill 2015
- 500th - Kraigg Brathwaite 2017
Anderson's career in numbers
6 - bowlers with 500 Test wickets after Anderson joined Courtney Walsh, Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, Glenn McGrath and Anil Kumble.
129 - Tests taken for Anderson to reach 500 wickets - the same as West Indies great Walsh. Muralitharan was quickest to the mark in 87 Tests, with the other three ranging from 105 to 110.
27.64 - his Test bowling average. Only Kumble of the 500 club has a higher average, 29.65.
23 - times Anderson has taken five wickets in a Test innings. On three occasions he has gone on to make it a 10-wicket match.
7-43 - his best figures, against New Zealand at Trent Bridge in June 2008.
18.95 - Anderson's average at perhaps his favourite Test ground, Trent Bridge. He has taken more wickets at Lord's, 84, but his 60 in Nottingham have come in just nine Tests as opposed to 21 at HQ.
35 - at 35 years and 40 days old, Anderson is the third-youngest man to reach 500 wickets.
2003 - the year Anderson made his Test debut, against Zimbabwe at Lord's.
68 - number of Anderson's Test wickets which came via catches from former England wicketkeeper Matt Prior, the most by any fielder. Current keeper Jonny Bairstow has contributed 32 catches and Alastair Cook 36.
11 - Anderson has dismissed Australia bowler Peter Siddle more times than any other opposing batsman.
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