England veteran Stuart Broad on Tuesday became the latest bowler to enter the 500 wickets club in Test cricket during the ongoing match against West Indies at Old Trafford.
Broad was breathing fire on Sunday after England declared their 2nd innings at 226 for 2, setting West Indies a target of 399 to win the third and final Test.
He got rid of opener John Campbell with the third delivery of his first over of the final session on Day 3 and then returned to remove nightwatchman Kemar Roach to end the day on 499 Test wickets.
But he was made to wait at least 40 hours after heavy rain in Manchester washed out the entire day’s play on Monday.
When play finally began on the final day, Broad wasted no time as he bagged the wicket of Kraigg Brathwaite to reach the milestone. His fast-bowling partner James Anderson was the last to enter the 500 club, which was also during a Test match against the West Indies at Lord’s in 2017.
Interestingly, Brathwaite was also Anderson’s 500th-Test victim.
Broad is the second England bowler after Anderson and the 7th overall in the overall list of highest wicket takers, which is led by Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan with 800 scalps.
Shane Warne (708), Anil Kumble (619), Anderson (589), Glenn McGrath (563) and Courtney Walsh (519) are ahead of Broad at the moment.
Broad, who is playing his 140th Test match for England, was controversially dropped from the team in the first match of the series in Southampton but has been unstoppable since returning to the side in the second Test at Old Trafford.
Broad scored 62 off 45 balls as England posted 369 before his six-wicket haul saw the Windies getting bundled out for 197.
The hosts took a 172-run first innings lead and consolidated their position in the match on Day 3 with openers Dom Sibley and Rory Burns leading the way.
Sibley was scored 56 before getting out to Jason Holder while Burns fell 10 runs short of his 3rd Test hundred, getting out for 90 off Roston Chase’s bowling. His dismissal prompted England to declare their 2nd innings at 226 for 2 with captain Joe Root remaining unbeaten on 68.
The Windies had to survive 23 minutes but Broad had other ideas as he troubled the batsmen with 3 fiery overs before the close of play.
