England’s James Anderson-Stuart Broad overtake Australia’s Warne-McGrath to become most successful bowling pair in Tests

Mount Maunganui [New Zealand], February 18 (ANI): England pace duo Stuart Broad and James Anderson created history on Saturday by claiming the record for most Test wickets as a bowling pair from Australian greats Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath.

The pair overtook their Australian rivals when Broad clean-bowled Devon Conway early in the final session of the ongoing first Test between England and New Zealand in Mount Maunganui. It was a record-breaking 1002nd Test scalp as teammates for Broad and Anderson, as the pair overtook the long-standing record previously held by McGrath and Warne (1001).

Most Test wickets as teammates
1002* – James Anderson and Stuart Broad (ongoing)
1001 – Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath
895 – Muttiah Muralidaran and Chaminda Vaas
762 – Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose

While Anderson debuted at Lord’s against Zimbabwe back in May of 2003, the evergreen 40-year-old had to wait until the end of 2007 when a then 21-year-old Broad won his first cap against Sri Lanka in Colombo.

Since then both Anderson and Broad have proven time and time again to be among the most formidable quicks in Test cricket and the pair are among a group of just seven players to have amassed more than 500 wickets individually at the Test level.

And the majority of those Test scalps have come with their partner in crime in the same side, as they are yet again for the opening match of the two-game Test series against New Zealand.

Coming to the match, New Zealand has set a target of 394 runs to take the lead in the two-match series.

England’s second innings concluded with them being bundled out for 374 runs. With this, they took a 393-run lead in the match.

Joe Root (57), Harry Brook (54) and wicketkeeper-batter Ben Foakes (51) hit fifties for England to build a healthy lead for their side.

Blair Tickner (3/55) and Michael Bracewell (3/68) were the leading bowlers for Kiwis. Neil Wagner and Scott Kuggeleijn took two wickets each as well.

Earlier, the Kiwis were all out for 306 in their first innings. After being reduced to 83/5, Devon Conway (77) had an 85-run stand for the sixth wicket with Tom Blundell, who went on to smash 138 runs in 181 balls. Blundell became the first-ever wicketkeeper-batter to have a century in a pink-ball Test match. Knocks from Neil Wagner (27) and Kuggeleijn (20) also came in handy for the Kiwis.

Ollie Robinson picked up 4/54 in 19 overs. James Anderson took 3/36 in his 16.5 overs. Stuart Broad, Ben Stokes and Jack Leach picked up one wicket each.

With this score, NZ was trailing by 19 runs after their first innings. England had declared their first innings on 325/9 in just 58.2 overs. Half-centuries from Brook (89) and Ben Duckett (84) were highly crucial for the visitors. Ollie Pope (42) and Foakes (38) also played some useful knocks in the first innings.

Wagner was the pick of the bowlers for NZ in the first innings with 4/82 in 16.2 overs. Skipper Tim Southee and Kuggeleijn got two wickets each. Tickner picked up one wicket.