Who has scored the most Test runs without bowling?
Steven Lynch,
James Anderson reached his landmark 500th Test wicket against West Indies this weekend. Of the bowlers who have achieved the feat, who got there the quickest? asked Savo Ceprnich from South Africa
James Anderson reached 500 wickets in his 129th Test, the same number as Courtney Walsh. Muttiah Muralitharan needed only 87, then come Anil Kumble (105), Shane Warne (108), and Glenn McGrath (110). Anderson bowled in 242 innings, more than anyone else: Murali needed 144, Kumble 186, Warne 201, McGrath 214 and Walsh 236. Only McGrath, though, got there quicker than Anderson in terms of balls bowled: by the end of the match in which they took their 500th wicket, McGrath had sent down 25,617 deliveries, Anderson 28,259, Walsh 29,011, Murali 29,522, Warne 30,222 and Kumble 32,961. The quickest in terms of time was Murali, in around 11Â― years, then McGrath (51 days longer), Warne (just over 12 years), Anderson (14 years four months), Kumble (15Â― years) and Walsh (16Â―). Murali was a month short of his 32nd birthday when he got to 500: Warne was 34Â―, Anderson 35 years and 40 days, Kumble 35 and 145, and McGrath 35 and 162, while Walsh was 38.