Kemar Roach completed 300 Test wickets with a four-wicket haul in the second innings against Sri Lanka. Asitha Fernando was his 300th scalp.
Kemar Roach joins elite league
West Indies fast bowler Kemar Roach achieved a special personal milestone on Sunday on the fourth day of the first Test against Sri Lanka. He completed 300 wickets in Test cricket after picking up a four-for in the second innings as the West Indies won by an innings and 217 runs.
He became only the fifth West Indies bowler to breach the 300-wicket mark in the longest format of the game. Courtney Walsh is the leading wicket-taker for the West Indies with 519 scalps, while Curtly Ambrose is next on the list with 405 wickets to his name. Malcolm Marshall and Lance Gibbs are the other two bowlers with more than 300 Test wickets for the West Indies.
Most Test wickets for the West Indies
Player | Matches | Innings | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate | 5/10 |
Courtney Walsh | 132 | 142 | 519 | 24.44 | 57.84 | 22/3 |
Curtly Ambrose | 98 | 179 | 405 | 20.99 | 54.57 | 22/3 |
Malcolm Marshall | 81 | 151 | 376 | 20.94 | 46.76 | 22/4 |
Lance Gibbs | 79 | 148 | 309 | 29.09 | 87.75 | 18/2 |
Kemar Roach | 89 | 161 | 300 | 26.83 | 51.81 | 12/1 |
Roach reflects on his long journey
Coming back to Roach, he finished the first Test against Sri Lanka with six wickets and was one of the best bowlers for the West Indies. At 37, his pace is up to the mark and has consistently carried the Caribbean Test attack since making his debut in 2009.
He had suffered a serious head injury in a car crash back in 2014, but survived and bounced back strongly to become a permanent feature in the West Indies’ Test team. His ability to move the ball both ways has also made him special over the years.
Roach got emotional after his teammates congratulated him on reaching the 300-wicket milestone. He also received a special jersey to commemorate his achievement: “Thank you very much, everyone. I really appreciate it. All the people supporting me over the years, I'm glad and very proud in some way. But for me right now, I just want to bask in the moment, celebrate this Test win, and then win the series as well.”
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