South Africa vs England, 2019-20: 1st Test, Day 1 – Starting the series with a wicket, James Anderson's milestone game, Test cricket's 3000th player and more stats

The 4-match Test series between South Africa and England began with James Anderson dismissing Dean Elgar on the first ball of the series. The home team ended the day on 277/9 which could make them feel better having made to bat first after losing the toss. Sam Curran picked up a 4-wicket haul to unsettle the South African innings. However, it was Quinton de Kock’s 128-ball 95 which played a key role in boosting the South African total as he shared an 87-run stand with Dwaine Pretorius for the 6th wicket.

All the statistical highlights from the opening day of the series between South Africa and England:

Starting the series with a wicket:

1 – James Anderson became the first England bowler to take a wicket on the first ball of a Test series. Dean Elgar became the 2nd South African to be dismissed on the first ball of a Test series after Jimmy Cook in the bowling of India’s Kapil Dev during the 1992/93 home series. Overall, this was the 9th Test series which began with a wicket on the first ball. The last such series was India-Sri Lanka in 2017 where KL Rahul got out to Suranga Lakmal.

A first for James Anderson:

1 – James Anderson has bowled the first ball of a Test match on 57 instances; the 2nd most by any player. However, the Centurion Test was the first time Anderson picked a wicket on the first ball of a Test match.

This was only the 5th instance of an England bowler taking a wicket on the first ball of a Test and the 2nd instance in the last 43 years. Ryan Sidebottom dismissed Darren Ganga on the first ball of the 2007 Chester-le-Street Test against West Indies.

James Anderson @ 150:

1 – James Anderson became the first specialist bowler to feature in 150 matches in Test cricket. Shane Warne’s 145 Test appearances are the most for a specialist bowler before Anderson.

150 – James Anderson is only the 2nd player to feature in 150 Test matches for England. Alastair Cook featured in as many as 161 Tests for the England team.

Test cricket’s 3000th player:

3000 – Dwaine Pretorius became the 3000th player to feature in Men’s Test matches. Another South African to make his Test debut in this game, Rassie van der Dussen is the 3001st player.

Joe Root’s catching milestone:

202 – Joe Root completed 200 catches in International cricket with the first of the three catches on day one. He is the 3rd fielder from England with 200+ International catches after Paul Collingwood (218) and Alastair Cook (212).

25 – Number of catches Joe Root has claimed in Test cricket this year; the 2nd most by an England fielder in a calendar year in this format. Root himself holds the record with 26 catches in 2016 while his 25 catches in 2015 find the 3rd spot in this list.

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