England’s James Anderson takes wicket with first ball of 150th Test
Written by News on 26/12/2019
James Anderson struck with the first ball of his 150th Test as England reduced South Africa to 79-3 at lunch on day one of the Boxing Day clash at Centurion.
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Anderson – playing in his first Test since August after overcoming a calf injury – saw Dean Elgar clipped a tame delivery through to Jos Buttler down the leg-side as England made an immediate breakthrough after Joe Root elected to bowl at SuperSport Park.
The tourists were not at their best with the ball but Sam Curran – one of five seamers selected as Root went in with an all frontline pace attack – did have Aiden Markram (20) caught by Bairstow at midwicket before Stuart Broad had Zubayr Hamza (39) pouched by Ben Stokes at slip.
Bairstow returned to the England side with Ollie Pope one of three players ruled out through illness – the Surrey batsman joining all-rounder Chris Woakes and spinner Jack Leach in quarantine back at the team hotel.
Stokes did play, however, with his father, Ged, now in a stable condition in a Johannesburg hospital after responding to treatment.
Stokes, Curran, Jofra Archer, Broad and Anderson comprised England’s attack, with Anderson becoming the second Englishman, after close friend Sir Alastair Cook, to 150 Tests.
The 37-year-old – who received his milestone cap from Nasser Hussain – is the ninth player from any country to feature in 150 Test matches and first out-and-out bowler.
Watch continued live coverage of the first Test on Sky Sports Cricket.
(c) Sky Sports 2019: England’s James Anderson takes wicket with first ball of 150th Test
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