On Thursday (December 26), James Anderson became the second English cricketer to play 150 Test matches. He ran in with the new ball after England skipper Joe Root won the toss asked the hosts South Arica to bat in the first of the match series.
Dean Elgar was on strike, the ball landed on a length and swung down the leg side, the Proteas opener tried to glance it away, but the ball kissed the bat, and Jos Buttler took an easy catch behind the stumps. It was the perfect start for the tourists, and South Africa were rocked early.
With this feat, Anderson became the fourth bowler in this decade to claim a wicket on the first ball of a Test match and joined an exclusive list of bowlers.
Our best ever? 👑 #SAvENG pic.twitter.com/nfSnHFNdNg
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) December 26, 2019
Wicket on the first ball of a Test match in this decade:
- James Anderson v Dean Elgar (South Africa), Centurion, 2019
- Suranga Lakmal v KL Rahul (India), Kolkata, 2017
- Mitchell Starc v Dimuth Karunaratne (Sri Lanka), Galle, 2016
- Suranga Lakmal v Chris Gayle (West Indies), Pallekele, 2010
- Dale Steyn v Andrew Strauss (England), Johannesburg, 2010
England’s former skipper Alastair Cook holds the record for playing most matches for England. He played 161 Tests for his country.
