Stats: Players with 250+ wickets in Test cricket at home

James Anderson, the England pacer achieved a rare feat of taking 300 wickets in Test cricket at home during the 2nd Test match against South Africa at Nottingham. The 34-year-old became only the 4th player to take 300 Test wickets in a country and the first fast bowlers to do so. He is also the first ever player to take over 300 wickets on England soil.

On the first day morning in the Nottingham Test, Anderson gave his side the breakthrough by dismissing Dean Elgar in his 5th over, the 9th over of the innings after South Africa elected to bat first. Elgar’s drive was in the air and Liam Dawson at the backward point, took a brilliant catch to complete a rare achievement for Anderson.

A couple of hours before Anderson’s achievement, the Sri Lankan spinner, Rangana Herath made an entry for himself as he continues to climb in the record books even at the age of 39. The left-arm spinner completed 250 wickets in Test cricket on Sri Lankan soil during the one-off Test match against Zimbabwe at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

By taking Sikandar Raza’s wicket in the 2nd session, Herath completed 250 Test wickets in Sri Lanka and thus became only the 7th player to take 250 wickets in this format on home soil. He is the 2nd Sri Lankan to achieve this feat after Muttiah Muralitharan who has nearly taken 500 wickets on Sri Lankan soil.

Among the seven players who have taken over 250 wickets at home, only Anderson and Herath are active ones while India’s Harbhajan Singh has been out of the Test team for over two years and might not play again. Dale Steyn and Stuart Broad aren’t far from joining this list as these pacers need 9 and 16 Test wickets respectively in their home countries.

Most wickets in Test cricket at home:

(Stats as on July 14, 2017, at Anderson’s 1st wicket)