England legend James Anderson set a new world record on Thursday as he prepares to bid farewell to international cricket. Anderson is currently playing his final Test for England against West Indies at Lord’s. After Day 2, West Indies are 79/6 in their second innings, trailing England by 171 runs, after the hosts made 371 in their first innings and the visitors scored 121 initially.
The match could conclude on Day 3, which will be played on Friday. However, James Anderson has already achieved a significant milestone during this game, becoming the first fast bowler in Test cricket history to deliver 40,000 or more balls. So far, Anderson has bowled 40,001 deliveries in 188 matches, with the opportunity to increase this tally on Friday.
In terms of most balls bowled in Test cricket, Anderson joins an elite group behind spinners Muttiah Muralitharan (44,039), Anil Kumble (40,850), and Shane Warne (40,705). Stuart Broad also appears on this list, having bowled 33,698 balls in 167 Tests.
James Anderson ranks fourth for the most balls bowled in international cricket across all formats, behind Muralitharan, Kumble, and Warne. The top bowlers in this category are Muttiah Muralitharan with 63,132 deliveries in 495 matches, Anil Kumble with 55,346 in 403 matches, and Shane Warne with 51,347 in 339 matches, while Anderson has bowled 49,883 in 400 matches.
Currently, Anderson has taken three wickets in this Test, bringing his overall tally to 703. With only four West Indies wickets remaining, James Anderson will not surpass Warne’s 708 wickets, ensuring he remains the third-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket history.
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