James Anderson sets Test world record for fast bowlers with his 30,020th delivery

Anderson on Tuesday became the fast bowler to have bowled most deliveries in Test cricket, going past West Indies great Courtney Walsh.

File photo of England fast bowler James Anderson (Reuters)

Fast bowling is a tough art and it becomes even tougher when you have to bowl as many as 30,020 deliveries. James Anderson on Tuesday became the fast bowler to have bowled most deliveries in Test cricket as England chased victory against New Zealand in the second Test of the series at Christchurch. 

When Anderson sent down his 30,020th delivery, he went past West Indies great Courtney Walsh who had bowled 30,019 deliveries in Test cricket. 

Walsh retired in 2001 and claimed 519 wickets in his Test career at an average of 24.44 while Anderson, with 531 Test wickets at 27.34, is England's most successful bowler. 

Overall, Anderson sits fourth on the list of bowlers to have most bowled the most in Test cricket. The list is headed by Sri Lanka's legendary offspinner Muttiah Muralitharan. 

Murali finished his Test career with a world-record 800 wickets and bowled 44,039 deliveries to do so. Following him in the list are two more spin-bowling legends, India's Anil Kumble (40,850 deliveries for 619 wickets) and Australia's Shane Warne (40,705 for 708).

Anderson, though, couldn't inspire an England win in the Christchurch Test that ended in a draw on Tuesday after a dogged half-century by tailender Ish Sodhi.

It gave the Kiwis a 1-0 win in the two-Test series - their first over the Englishmen since 1999.

Winners of the first Test in Auckland by an innings and 49 runs, New Zealand were 256/8 when the umpires offered Sodhi (56 not out) the light, still 126 runs in arrears but with the all-important draw secure.

(With agency inputs)