Dale Steyn Overtakes England's Stuart Broad With Impressive Spell Against Sri Lanka

Dale Steyn led South Africa's bowling attack and claimed two big wickets on the fourth day of the first Test against Sri Lanka at Kingsmead on Saturday to surpass England fast bowler Stuart Broad in the list of leading wicket-takers in the Test cricket. The 35-year-old South African dismissed Oshada Fernando and wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella to climb to the seventh position in all-time leading Test wicket-takers and fourth among fast bowlers. With 439 wickets, Dale Steyn is now 80 wickets away from West Indies legend Courtney Walsh (519). 

With 575 scalps, Engalnd's James Anderson leads the chart, as far as fast bowlers are concerned, while former Australia pacer Glenn McGrath is second with 563 wickets to his name.

On Friday, Steyn surpassed Kapil Dev's tally of 434 Test wickets to draw parity with Broad. The South Africa's leading Test wicket-taker claimed four wickets in the first innings in Durban to equal Broad's tally of 437 wickets in Tests.

However, South Africa lost the first Test as Kusal Perera took Sri Lanka to a sensational one-wicket win on the fourth day. Perera hit a career-best 153 not out as he and Vishwa Fernando put on an unbeaten 78 in a last-wicket partnership that enabled Sri Lanka to secure only their second win in 14 Test matches in South Africa.

Victory seemed unlikely when the ninth wicket fell with the total on 226, with the tourists chasing a target of 304.

But the left-handed Perera successfully farmed the strike, with South African captain Faf du Plessis persisting with defensive fields for the in-form batsman, while Fernando only had to face 27 balls during a 96-ball partnership.

South Africa took the second new ball with the total on 263 but still kept most of their fielders on the boundary for Perera, who hit sixes off both Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada before slashing Rabada to third man for the winning boundary.

(With AFP inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

South Africa Cricket Team Sri Lanka Cricket Team Dale Steyn Cricket South Africa vs Sri Lanka, 1st Test