Jimmy Anderson joins the England elite

The 30-year-old pace bowler became only the fourth England player to reach the milestone when New Zealand opener Peter Fulton edged an outswinger to Graeme Swann at second slip on the second day of the first Test of the summer at Lord’s.

Anderson, who had begun his 87th Test on 298 wickets, got the ball rolling when forcing Hamish Rutherford to find captain Alastair Cook at slip in his first over.

And the dismissal of Fulton - a former Lowerhouse professional - ensured the ‘Burnley Express’ sealed the deal to join elite company including Fred Trueman, Bob Willis and Sir Ian Botham.

Trueman became the first Test cricketer in history to capture the landmark when dismissing Neil Hawke at The Oval in 1964. Anderson is now the 26th bowler on the world stage to achieve that same feat.

And with his 304th wicket - BJ Watling the victim on this occasion as England secured an astonishing 170-run victory - he now has Trueman’s tally of 307 and Willis’s total of 325 in his sights. But if Anderson is to become England’s most successful Test bowler of all time he will have to usurp Botham, who struck 383 times.