London: James Anderson took the best innings figures of his Test career as England completed a nine-wicket and series-clinching victory against West Indies at Lord’s on Saturday.
Anderson followed up his Friday feat of becoming the first England bowler and only sixth in history to take 500 Test wickets by finishing with a return of 7/42 in 20.1 overs as the West Indies were dismissed for 177 in their second innings on the third day of the third Test.
That left England with a meagre target of 107 and they finished on 107/1 off 28 overs as they took a three-match series 2-1.
Mark Stoneman was 40 not out and Tom Westley 44 not out in an unbroken stand of 72.
Anderson’s return just surpassed his previous best in 129 career Tests of 7/43 against New Zealand at Trent Bridge in 2008.
It was also the fifth time the 35-year-old Lancashire swing bowler had taken five or more wickets in a Test innings at Lord’s, with England all-round great Ian Botham’s eight such hauls the most anyone has taken in Tests at ‘the home of cricket’.
Scoreboard
West Indies (1st innings): 123
England (1st innings): 194
West Indies (2nd innings, o/n 93/3): K. Brathwaite b Anderson 4, K. Powell b Anderson 45, K. Hope lbw b Broad 1, S. Hope c Bairstow b Anderson 62, R. Chase c Bairstow b Anderson 3, J. Blackwood c Bairstow b Anderson 5, S. Dowrich c Broad b Roland-Jones 14, J. Holder c Anderson b Broad 23, D. Bishoo b Anderson 0, K. Roach b Anderson 3, S. Gabriel (not out) 0. Extras: (lb 17) 17. Total (in 65.1 overs) 177.
FoW: 1-6, 2-21, 3-69, 4-94, 5-100, 6-123, 7-155, 8-155, 9-177.
Bowling: Anderson 20.1-5-42-7, Broad 19-9-35-2, Roland-Jones 11-4-31-1, Stokes 12-3-41-0, Ali 2.0-0-6-0, Root 1-0-5-0.
England (2nd innings): A. Cook lbw b Bishoo 17, M. Stoneman (not out) 40, T. Westley (not out) 44. Extras (b4, lb1, w1) 6. Total: (for 1 wkt, in 28 overs) 107.
FoW: 1-35.
Bowling: Gabriel 5-0-22-0; Roach 1-0-4-0; Holder 6-1-16-0 (1w); Bishoo 11-2-35-1; Chase 5-1-25-0.
