This week, after a match at Lord’s against the West Indies, England pacer James Anderson will retire from Test cricket.
He holds the record for the most international wickets for a seamer and will step away from the international game over two decades after he made his debut against Zimbabwe at the Home of cricket in 2003.
But across such a long and distinguished career, just where, how and in what way did Anderson take each of his 700 wickets?
Well, here goes.
Anderson around the world
Nine nations have been lucky enough to see the Englishman take wickets, with a huge majority of those – unsurprisingly – coming at home.
He’s taken over 100 combined in Australia and New Zealand with a further 44 in India.
Of the nations he has taken wickets in, his lowest total is eight in Pakistan; albeit he only played two Test matches in the country.
His best wickets per match ratio comes in England with Pakistan, New Zealand and the UAE in behind.
Anderson has taken most of his wickets in England, but he’s claimed scalps across the world.
Supreme at home
It is fitting that Anderson ends his international career at Lord’s; it is where it started after all.
He has also played the most matches on these shores at the Home of Cricket while taking 119 of his 434 English wickets at Lord’s.
Trent Bridge has seen 73 of his scalps while both Edgbaston and the Oval have seen over a half century.
His home, at Old Trafford, where he has a bowling end named after him has seen him take 38 wickets.
Rare Test host Cardiff is home to eight Jimmy wickets.
Of his 400+ wickets at home, the seamer felt most at home at Lord’s
Caught, bowled, LBW; b. Anderson
So we know where Anderson took his 700 wickets, but how did he do it?
Well the majority of his wickets were caught by the field, nearly 40 per cent, while the keeper has caught nearly 30 per cent.
He’s bowled nearly a fifth of his scalps out while 14 per cent were LBW.
Of the wickets he took at Lord’s, over a third were via hitting the stumps with a delivery – an astonishing figure.
Caught? Bowled? LBW? Just how did Anderson take his 700 wickets?
So there you have it; the complete breakdown of Anderson’s wickets ahead of his final Test at Lord’s.
Graphics courtesy of Best Betting Sites