In a batting performance as dominant as England’s against Ireland at Lord’s, and in a team devouring various scoring records, one milestone slightly slipped under the radar. On day two, as Joe Root clipped Curtis Campher into the leg side for an easy single on the stroke of tea, he became the 11th cricketer in history – and just the second Englishman – to reach 11,000 Test runs.
The relative value of runs versus wickets is perhaps why such staging posts often differ by way of fanfare. If Jimmy Anderson adds 15 more to his 685 Test pelts this summer – or perhaps even overtakes Shane Warne’s 708 – expect a fair amount of bunting to come out. But it is still worth noting Root’s rarified company, with Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of 15,921 at the summit and Allan Border, in 10th place on 11,174, an Australian great who could well be overtaken during this upcoming Ashes series.
