LONDON: England’s Stuart Broad joined one of cricket’s most exclusive clubs when he took his 500th Test wicket on Tuesday.
The only bowlers with more than 600 Test wickets are a trio of former spinners — Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan (800), Australian Shane Warne (708) and India’s Anil Kumble (619).
The 34-year-old paceman became just the seventh bowler to reach the landmark when he had West Indies opener Kraigg Brathwaite plumb lbw for 19 at Old Trafford on the fifth and final day of the third Test, with England pushing for a victory that would see them take the series 2-1.
Broad had been left stranded on 499 wickets when, after he had already taken eight wickets in this match, rain washed out the whole of Monday’s fourth day.
He was then frustrated by some sound batting early Tuesday before a fresh burst of rain forced the players off the field for some 16 minutes.
Soon after play resumed, Broad dismissed Brathwaite with a full-length delivery that struck the back pad, with the opener not even bothering to review umpire Michael Gough’s decision because he was so clearly out.
Broad, controversially omitted from the England side that lost the first Test at Southampton by four wickets, had now taken all three West Indies wickets to fall in the second innings of this match.
That followed Broad’s haul of 6-31 in the tourists’ meagre first innings 197.
