English fast bowler James Anderson seems to be aging like fine wine. The 40-year-old fast bowler, who is inching closer towards the 700-mark in Test cricket as far as the number of wickets are concerned, reached the top of the ICC Test rankings for bowlers and became the oldest ever cricketer to do so.

Anderson was in action against New Zealand during the first Test in Mount Maunganui. The English fast bowler, who is currently 40 years and 208 days old, knocked down Australian Test captain Pat Cummins off the top spot. He has been a pivotal force in England’s recent run in Test cricket, which saw them win 10 of their last 11 Tests, which includes a whitewashing of Pakistan in Pakistan. You can bet on the ongoing England tour of New Zealand on Bet365.

Anderson became the first cricketer in Test cricket to play 150 matches as a fast bowler. He currently has 178 Test caps to his name and picked up 682 wickets, just 26 short of Shane Warne’s tally, who is the second leading wicket-taker in this format’s history. While it may be impossible for the Lancashire man to think of Muttiah Muralitharan’s all-time record, there’s nothing you would put beyond him right now. 

Anderson seems to be excelling furthermore as he grows old. Since turning 35, Anderson has picked up 202 wickets in 56 Tests at a splendid average of 20.56, which includes wickets taken all across the world at fairly brilliant bowling averages. This phase of his career alone manages to trump the careers of most cricketers and he is currently experiencing it while in his 40s. You can enhance your cricket viewing experience further with Bet365 betting odds.

Previously, Australian cricketer Chris Grimmett escalated to the top of the ICC Test rankings for bowlers at the age of 39. He retained his record as the oldest cricketer to do so until 2023, for nearly nine decades, until the English pacer toppled him. 

He is not the only bowler experiencing the late bloom in his career. His fast bowling partner Stuart Broad, in Anderson’s shadow, has been performing exceedingly well too. The Anderson-Broad duo is now the most successful bowling pair in Test history, having picked up 1,009 wickets between each other while playing together, surpassing Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath’s record of 1,001 wickets. Cricket Bet365 is the best source to follow everything related to England’s tour of New Zealand.