Stuart Broad joined one of cricket’s most exclusive clubs when he took his 500th Test wicket on Tuesday as England registered a series-clinching win over the West Indies at Old Trafford on Tuesday.
Broad finished with 10 wickets in the decider, and 16 wickets in the series after being dropped for the first of the three matches that marked the return of international cricket post-coronavirus shutdown.
The 34-year-old became just the seventh bowler and fourth pacer to reach the landmark when he had opener Kraigg Brathwaite plumb lbw for 19 on the fifth day of the third Test.
Broad, playing in his 140th Test, had been stranded on 499 wickets when, after he had already taken eight in this match, rain washed out the whole of Monday’s fourth day.
He reached the 500-mark on Tuesday when a full-length ball struck Brathwaite’s back pad, with the opener not bothering to review umpire Michael Gough’s decision because he was so clearly out.
Fittingly, he also picked up the last wicket to fall, that of Jermaine Blackwood, who was caught down the leg side.
An England great 🦁
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 28, 2020
A legend of the game 👑
So proud that @StuartBroad8 is one of ours! 🏴🏏 pic.twitter.com/W69G9CI9SR
Brathwaite was also the dismissed batsman when James Anderson, Broad’s longstanding England new-ball colleague, took his 500th Test wicket, at Lord’s in September 2017. Broad took the first three West Indies wickets to fall in their second innings of this match.
Any chance he might take all 10 in an innings, as England off-spinner Jim Laker did against Australia in the Old Trafford Test of 1956, ended soon afterwards when Broad caught Shai Hope off Chris Woakes.
Broad had already taken 6/31 in West Indies’ meagre first innings 197 made in reply to England’s 369. Batting at No 10, he also scored a dashing 62 runs in that innings.
Angered by his controversial omission from the England side that lost the first Test at Southampton, he marked his return to Test duty with six wickets in England’s 113-run series levelling win over the West Indies, also at Old Trafford
Anderson, 38 on Thursday, is closing in on 600 Test wickets. But speaking before play at his Lancashire home ground on Tuesday, he said Broad could surpass his eventual tally.
“I just think the way Stuart has bowled the last two game has been absolutely phenomenal,” Anderson told Sky Sports. “I am always amazed how he gets into a spell and blows people away. He could end up with more wickets than me.”
Here are reactions to Broad picking up his 500th wicket in Tests:
Brilliant Broad 💪@StuartBroad8 has taken 94 out of 500 of his Test wickets at Lord's - which one is your favourite? 🤔#LoveLords pic.twitter.com/5VMFx1oX8A
— Lord's Cricket Ground (@HomeOfCricket) July 28, 2020
Congratulations @StuartBroad8 on 500 Test wickets. Always a tough competitor and a very skillful bowler especially in English conditions. #ENGvWI
— Ricky Ponting AO (@RickyPonting) July 28, 2020
And well done @StuartBroad8 A champions greatest quality is longevity. You are a true champion.
— Adam Gilchrist (@gilly381) July 28, 2020
Congratulations to @StuartBroad8 on reaching 500 test wits hard work does pay off. I still remember you bowling to my son at Bristol when you both were kids.. well done and the sky is the limits next step 600.👍🏿🍾🎊
— Courtney A Walsh (@CuddyWalsh) July 28, 2020
Incredible achievement @StuartBroad8. Having form,fitness,skill and desire over such a long period of time is a very special effort. Congratulations #500club #ENGvsWI
— Ajit Agarkar (@imAagarkar) July 28, 2020
What a player and what a man. Incredible achievement! @StuartBroad8 https://t.co/xS63N4a19d
— Jason Roy (@JasonRoy20) July 28, 2020
500 big ones for @StuartBroad8
— Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) July 28, 2020
Well done bud, what a great achievement #salute
Congratulations @StuartBroad8 on 500 test wickets great achievement for any bowler 👏
— Hassan Ali 🇵🇰 (@RealHa55an) July 28, 2020
Such a shame the ground can’t be full for @StuartBroad8 500th test wicket but we are all watching in admiration of such a huge achievement. Incredible 👏🏻 #ENGvWIN #cricket #500club
— Paul Collingwood (@Colly622) July 28, 2020
Jimmy Anderson’s 500th Test wicket: Kraigg Brathwaite
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 28, 2020
Stuart Broad’s 500th Test wicket: Kraigg Brathwaite#ENGvWI pic.twitter.com/BWRw3gITwn
500 Test wickets for Stuart Broad. He is one of my favourite cricketers. His ability to run through batting line-ups on his day, is second to none. Take a bow, Broady. @StuartBroad8 pic.twitter.com/Y9NNyPCYuQ
— Madhav Sharma (@HashTagCricket) July 28, 2020
This is a short thread on Stuart Broad & how the bowler we are watching now - the pitch-it-up, attack-the-stumps monster, is - perhaps - the bowler he’s always been at heart, it’s just taken until recently for him to fully embrace that approach. @CricViz
— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) July 28, 2020
Seems a perfect microcosm of Stuart Broad's career that his 500th Test wicket will always carry mention of Anderson's. #EngvWI
— Vithushan Ehantharajah (@Vitu_E) July 28, 2020
WI would like to say congratulations to @StuartBroad8 on his remarkable achievement of 500 Test wickets. Well done to you Broady👏🏿👏🏿#ENGvWI pic.twitter.com/RMG9MXLaMW
— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) July 28, 2020
Kraigg Brathwaite has now been a milestone (100,200,300 etc) wicket 3 times: T Boult 200, J Anderson 500, S Broad 500.
— Andrew Samson (@AWSStats) July 28, 2020
The batsman who has been milestone wicket most often is Jacques Kallis 5 times: J Anderson 100, A Caddick 100, S Warne 300, Z Khan 300, C Walsh 500
- 500th Test victim of James Anderson in 2017 (Kraig Braithwaite)
— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) July 28, 2020
- 500th Test victim of Stuart Broad in 2020 (Kraig Braithwaite)#EngvWI #EngvsWI
Legendary stuff from @StuartBroad8 who takes 500 test wickets. Ridiculous stat! Hopefully many more(just not against Pakistan please) #legend
— Usama Mir (@iamusamamir) July 28, 2020
You hv been constantly striving & crossed the milestone of 500 Test wickets! These 500 wickets depicted your sheer hard work, your love & desire to reach at the top. Congrats @StuartBroad8 you are among the World’s Top bowlers now. 👏👏👏👏
— Aalia Rasheed (@aaliaaaliya) July 28, 2020
Take a bow, Stuart Broad. From being hit for 6 sixes in an over to be the only fourth fast bowler to pick 500 wkts in tests, has been a journey of sheer hard work and resilience. You are a champion cricketer @StuartBroad8 #DoddaMathu #ENGvWI
— ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗಣೇಶ್ | Dodda Ganesh (@doddaganesha) July 28, 2020
Stuart Broad remembered to turn around for that appeal, but if any lbw was worthy of a celebrappeal that was it #ENGvWI
— Andrew McGlashan (@andymcg_cricket) July 28, 2020
Congratulations to Stuart Broad 500 tesr wickets.... outstanding career.... definitely would not have been possible without his time at Hoppers Crossing cc!! https://t.co/mGBek9S2Xn
— Merv Hughes (@MervHughes332) July 28, 2020
The unstoppable hot streaks
— bet365 (@bet365) July 28, 2020
The reaction at Trent Bridge
The 60 all out
The 2011 Ashes series
The partnership with Anderson
The swashbuckling batting
The celebrappeals
The two Test hat-tricks
The fact David Warner got out just reading this tweet
Stuart Broad - one of a kind. pic.twitter.com/uERaGX6Fz9
- Dropped in the first Test.
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) July 28, 2020
- 6 wickets in the second Test.
- Fifty in the third Test.
- 10 wickets in third Test.
- Leading wicket-taker of the series.
- Completed 500 wickets in Test.
The series for Stuart Broad, made a statement and returned with a bang in the field. pic.twitter.com/B2VVQ4mFnf
Stuart Broad reaches 500 Test wicket milestone! #StuartBroad pic.twitter.com/5VDu00kxop
— Satish Acharya (@satishacharya) July 28, 2020