England fans share the frustration as Jimmy Anderson gropes for magic 500 | Andy Bull


Attempt to make Test wicket-taking history held up by West Indies lower-order batsman impervious to an English master at work

Jimmy Anderson recently explained that fate is what keeps him sane, a crutch that helps him cope with the vagaries of the game. “You have to try to think that way,” he said, “because cricket is a game where you can bowl out of your skin and get no wickets, and you can bowl a pile of rubbish and get five-for.”

At 35, he has grown to be pretty phlegmatic about it all but even his faith in the kismet of cricket must have been tested on Thursday afternoon, which he, and everyone else at Lord’s, spent waiting for a wicket which never came. At stumps, Anderson had 499 Test wickets. He needs one more to become the first Englishman to take 500.

Related: Ben Stokes rips through West Indies before England collapse in reply

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