Saturday 9 September 2017 07:13, UK
James Anderson's 500th Test wicket was the jewel in a sparkling second day's entertainment under the floodlights at Lord's as England and Windies traded blows in the third and deciding match.
Anderson's feat - achieved when he bowled opener Kraigg Brathwaite middle stump at 5.18pm on the second day - received a standing ovation from the capacity crowd and briefly tightened the home side's grip on an erratic, even mesmerising Test series.
Already sure of his place in cricketing history as England's record Test wicket-taker, Anderson is only the sixth bowler in history to achieve the feat and needs to reach 364 more to overtake Australia's Glenn McGrath to become the most successful seamer of all time.
More immediately, Anderson's historic blow pushed Windies onto the back foot after the tourists conceded a 71-run first-innings deficit despite Kemar Roach's 5-72 - England answering their 123 all out with 194 thanks to Ben Stokes' cultured 60 and Stuart Broad's swashbuckling 38 off 45 balls.
Broad was in effervescent mood as he followed Anderson's landmark strike by trapping Kyle Hope lbw for one and had Stokes held onto a slip chance offered by Kieron Powell when he had just two, the tourists' plight would indeed have been dire.
Powell (45 off 73 balls) pushed on to reduce Windies arrears to two runs before Anderson returned to the attack to bowl him with a mesmerising delivery that swing appreciably in before moving away to trim the off-bail.
Anderson received two official warnings from umpire Marais Erasmus for running on the pitch and was forced to switch ends shortly before stumps, which Windies reached on 93-3 - a lead of 22 with second innings hero Shai Hope (35no) and Roston Chase (3no) at the crease.
England started the day on 46-4, 77 runs behind, after a 15-minute rain delay and lost Dawid Malan for 20 in the 4.2 overs of play possible prior to lunch before bad weather intervened again.
The Middlesex batsman was undone by a fine delivery from Roach from around the wicket that angled into him before nipping away to take the edge shortly before rain sent the players off, the teams not to return until 2.15pm.
Stokes enjoyed a stroke of luck on the resumption on 24 when he edged Shannon Gabriel to fourth slip one delivery after Jason Holder had moved a fielder out of that position - Kyle Hope unable to grab the chance despite a spectacular dive from third.
The all-rounder, who returned career-best Test figures of 6-22 in Windies' first dig, moved to 49 with a supremely-timed boundary through mid-on off Holder, reaching his 12th Test fifty next ball with a cut single - getting there off 51 balls.
Stokes shared a bullish 56-run stand with Jonny Bairstow (21) that cut England's deficit to just four before Roach broke through by trapping the Yorkshireman lbw - Bairstow reviewing in vain.
England's lead stood at a slender four runs when Stokes was cleaned out by Gabriel only for replays to show the fast bowler, plagued by no-balls this year, had over-stepped again.
It mattered little, as it turned out, Gabriel knocking over the timber two balls later to send Stokes on his way and when Roach completed his five-for by dismissing Moeen Ali - caught in the gully while driving on the up - England's advantage was only 11.
Windies' efforts to wrap up the innings quickly were thwarted by Stuart Broad, who survived a nervous early spell against the short ball, to share a 29-run stand for the ninth wicket with Toby Roland-Jones (13), who was caught in the gully off Holder for no further addition after Shane Dowrich shelled a dolly off Roach.
Swash-buckling Broad took the lead past 50 by stepping away and launching Roach over deep cover for six before slashing the seamer over third man for a second maximum in his next over, earning England a cushion for their seamers to exploit.
Anderson creamed four through the covers only to be left unbeaten on eight when Broad nicked Jason Holder (5-54) behind - any frustration felt quickly evaporating as he stole the headlines in his second over by producing one of the famous moments in English cricket history.
Live coverage of the Third Test between England and Windies continues on Sky Sports Cricket at 10.30am on Saturday, with over-by-over commentary and in-play video clips in our match blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms.
