We break down the numbers as England’s leading Test wicket-takers reach a combined four figures
Alan Gardner23-Jan-2019With his second wicket during England’s late rally in Barbados, James Anderson claimed a significant — if slightly contrived — landmark for himself and regular new-ball partner Stuart Broad. With 567 and 433 wickets respectively, the English pair had reached 1000 in Tests, albeit with Broad currently out of the team.ESPNcricinfo LtdAnderson and Broad are, by some distance, England’s leading Test wicket-takers and they have taken plenty while on the field together — 851, to be exact, which is behind only two other combos: Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, and Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas. If we narrow things down to pace partnerships, they are well out in front, having overtaken Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh a while ago.
Should Broaderson (Branderson?) be reunited on the field, either in the Caribbean or during England’s home season, they will be only the third pair of bowlers to play together with 1000 Test wickets cumulatively — Warne and McGrath, who retired at the same time, bowed out with a grand tally of 1271; Muralitharan and Vaas had 1124 after their last joint-appearance in 2009.
Home advantageUnsurprisingly, they both have better records in English conditions, although the similarity in proportion of wickets taken home and away — 65% at home for Anderson, 64% for Broad — is interesting. Where Anderson swings it is with an average of 23.76 at home, compared to 32.50* away; Broad averages a very respectable 27.09 in England, and 32.43 elsewhere.
Greatest tag-team momentsIt is on the green grass of home where they have combined to best effect, too. Twice Anderson and Broad have shared 15 wickets in a match — scything through New Zealand at Lord’s in 2013, and Sri Lanka at Headingley in 2016. Lord’s, with its encouragement for swing and the assistance of the slope, has been a fruitful hunting ground: four times have they collected 14 wickets or more at HQ, with India, in 2011 and 2018, and West Indies, in 2012, the other teams put to the sword.ESPNcricinfo LtdOn the road, their best joint-return came just last year, with 13 wickets at Christchurch — although that match will be remembered for the ones that got away, as New Zealand hung on eight down for a draw. It was also a Test that saw the most-recent of Broad’s 16 five-wicket hauls. Whether he gets back in the side to celebrate 1000-up with his old friend remains to be seen.*Stats correct up to the close of day one in Barbados. With inputs from S Rajesh and Bharath Seervi
