James Anderson puts himself in the history books and England on course for series victory over West Indies

The Lancashire paceman claimed his 500th wicket on a gloomy day at Lord's, leaving the Windies just 22 runs ahead with seven wickets remaining

James Anderson claimed his 500th Test wicket with the scalp of Kraigg Brathwaite (Getty)

When the moment finally came it was surely as perfect as James Anderson would have hoped for.

England’s most prolific bowler had been waiting to reach the rarefied landmark of 500 Test wickets ever since West Indies’ second innings began at Headingley last week.

He finally got there on the second day of this deciding Test at Lord’s, a venue befitting of such an historic occasion, with a delivery that also did it full justice – the ball swinging in off a length and uprooting Kraigg Brathwaite’s middle stump.

It was a wicket that reduced West Indies to six for one in the third over of a second-innings they had started with a deficit of 71.

Indeed, with their opponents leading by just 22 on 93 for three by the close, Anderson appears to have set England on course for a series-clinching victory.

However, the context of this match was lost in the landmark moment as an ecstatic Lord’s feted Anderson with an ovation that lasted a full two minutes as their hero was hugged by his team-mates before holding up the ball to all four corners of this most famous of cricketing venues.

Anderson’s achievement cannot be overstated. It’s 5,222 days since he took his first Test wicket, bowling Zimbabwe’s Mark Vermeulen on his debut here at Lord’s in May 2003.

Back then the potential of a 20-year-old Anderson who sported bleach-blond highlights was unknown.

Today he stands amongst cricket’s greats having become only the sixth man and third fast bowler behind only Australia’s Glenn McGrath and Courtney Walsh to reach the 500-wicket mark.

It has taken Anderson 129 Tests to get there; the same number as West Indies great Walsh.

How many more wickets the 35-year-old can take during the remainder of his career depends on how long he can go on for. But McGrath’s record of 563 for a seam bowler is certainly within his range if he can continue bowling like he has been during a prolific Test summer that has now seen him take 34 wickets at 15.44.

Ben Stokes hit a swashbuckling half century to add to the six wicket haul he took on Thursday (Getty Images)

Anderson was unlucky not to have enjoyed his special moment on the first day of this Test, the Lancastrian instead left stranded on 499 after being upstaged by Ben Stokes’ brilliant six-wicket haul.

Stokes, too, was threatening to totally dominate this contest on this rain-hit second day as he added a fine half-century to his heroics with the ball to help England take a decisive first-innings lead.

The all-rounder had resumed on 13 on a morning that saw just 21 minutes of play before the rain set in. That was enough time for Dawid Malan to edge Kemar Roach behind on 20.

It left England, who had been reduced to 24 for four the previous evening, on 64 for five during a rain delay that kept the players off until 2.15pm.

By the time Stokes departed for 60 in late afternoon, England were 127 for seven, a lead of four. Stokes had been dropped on 24 and bowled by a Shannon Gabriel no-ball before the same bowler finally got his man two deliveries later.

However, Roach had kept this match in the balance, the fast bowler claiming his first five-wicket haul at Lord’s after adding Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali to his dismissals of Mark Stoneman and Alastair Cook on day one and Malan early on the second morning.

Jason Holder, the West Indies captain, also chipped in with four wickets to build on his fine bowling display at Headingley.

However, a last-wicket stand of 29 between Anderson and Stuart Broad turned what had been a slender first-innings advantage into something more significant.

The sun may have come out for the start of the tourists’ second innings on a day when the floodlights were on throughout, but it was Anderson who was soon hogging the limelight with that succulent delivery to Brathwaite.

Broad then trapped Kyle Hope lbw for one to reduce West Indies to 22 for two before Anderson removed opener Kieran Powell for 46.

His second wicket-taking delivery was almost as good as the first, this time a brilliant outswinger rearranging the batsman’s stumps.

England still led by two at that stage and even though their opponents had chiselled out a small advantage by the time stumps came at the unusually late hour of 7.34pm, Joe Root’s team are favourites to ensure Anderson’s moment of history will come in a winning cause.