First to 500 test wickets! Those records just keep on tumbling!
27 Nov 1998, approximately 12.30 GMT, The Wanderers, Johanesburg, First Test in the series against South Africa 1998/9
J Kallis, c Williams, b Walsh 53
Photo of Courtney becoming WI leading wicket taker
Courtney's end of career tally of Test wickets is 519 (as of 23rd April 2001 when his final test ended) He is TOP in the list of all time leading Test wicket takers, the worlds No. 1. He got wicket 435, overtaking the previous record holder, Kapil Dev's who got 434, on 27th March 2000 at Sabina Park.
See special page to mark him becoming the leading wicket taker at
Worlds Leading Test wicket taker
Kallis, lbw b Walsh, 0
Was Courtney's 500th test wicket. Time was about 2.22pm local time. The score at the time was 38/2.
His career stats at the time:- 129 matches, 500 wickets, 4806.3 overs, average of 24.67, and strike rate of 57.68.
If I can find any photos on the web, I will put a link to them.
For a great montage of pictures of the event see:-
The match was also the 50th test at Port of Spain, dubbed the Golden Test.
| Country | Home total | Away Total | Total Tests |
| Australia | 13 | 25 | 38 |
| England | 14 | 21 | 35 |
| India | 8 | 7 | 15 |
| New Zealand | 3 | 6 | 9 |
| Pakistan | 9 | 9 | 18 |
| South Africa | 6 | 4 | 10 |
| Sri Lanka | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Zimbabwe | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Grand Total of Tests | 132 |
| Country | Home- no. of series | Home- no. of wickets | Away- no. of series | Away- no.of wickets | Total wickets |
| Australia | 3 | 63 | 5 | 72 | 135 |
| England | 4 | 58 | 4 | 87 | 145 |
| India | 2 | 22 | 2 | 43 | 65 |
| New Zealand | 2 | 11 | 3 | 32 | 40 |
| Pakistan | 3 | 30 | 3 | 33 | 63 |
| South Africa | 2 | 29 | 1 | 22 | 55 |
| Sri Lanka | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| Zimbabwe | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Test wickets | 519 |
This table has now been completed to the end of Courtney's career.
| Series | H or A | Wickets in series | Total wickets at end series |
| Australia, 84/5 | A | 13 | 13 |
| New Zealand, 85 | H | 3 | 16 |
| England, 86 | H | 5 | 21 |
| Pakistan, 86 | A | 11 | 32 |
| New Zealand, 87 | A | 13 | 45 |
| India, 87/8 | A | 26 | 71 |
| Pakistan, 88 | H | 4 | 75 |
| England, 88 | A | 12 | 87 |
| Australia 88/9 | A | 17 | 104 |
| India 98 | H | 18 | 122 |
| England, 90 | H | 12 | 134 |
| Pakistan, 90 | A | 8 | 142 |
| Australia | H | 17 | 159 |
| England 91 | A | 15 | 174 |
| South Africa | H | 4 | 178 |
| Australia 92/3 | A | 12 | 190 |
| Pakistan 93 | H | 12 | 202 |
| Sri Lanka | A | 1 | 203 |
| England 94 | H | 19 | 222 |
| India 94 | A | 17 | 239 |
| New Zealand 95 | A | 16 | 255 |
| Australia 95 | H | 20 | 275 |
| England 95 | A | 26 | 301 |
| New Zealand 96 | H | 8 | 309 |
| Australia 96/7 | A | 19 | 328 |
| India 97 | H | 4 | 332 |
| Sri Lanka 97 | H | 7 | 339 |
| Pakistan 97 | A | 14 | 353 |
| England 98 | H | 22 | 375 |
| South Africa 98/9 | A | 22 | 397 |
| Australia, 99 | H | 26 | 423 |
| New Zealand, 99/00 | A | 3 | 426 |
| Zimbabwe, 2000 | H | 9 | 435 |
| Pakistan, 2000 | H | 14 | 449 |
| England, 2000 | A | 34 | 483 |
| Australia 2000/01 | A | 11 | 494 |
| South Africa 20001 | h | 25 | 519 |
This table is also now complete.
| Wicket No | Place | Opponents | Test no. in series | Month/year |
| 100th | Sydney | Australia | 4th | Jan 89 |
| 150th | Barbados | Australia | 4th | Apr 91 |
| 200th | Barbados | Pakistan | 2nd | Apr 93 |
| 250th | Wellington | New Zealand | 2nd | Feb 95 |
| 300th | The Oval, London | England | 6th | Aug 95 |
| 350th | Karachi | Pakistan | 3rd | Dec 1997 |
| 377 | Johannesburg | South Africa | 1st | Nov 1998 |
| 399 | Trinidad | Australia | 1st | Mar 99 |
| 400 | Trinidad | Australia | 1st | Mar 99 |
| 410 | Jamaica | Australia | 2nd | Mar 99 |
| 435 | Jamaica | Zimbabwe | 2nd | Mar 2000 |
| 500 | Trindad | South Africa | 2nd | March 2001 |
Wicket 399 has been added as it was Courtney's 100th vs Australia.
Wicket 410 has been added as it was his 36th at Sabina Park- the most wickets taken in tests by any bowler at that venue (at an average of 19.91)
Courtney is only the THIRD bowler to achieve the milestone of 400 Test wickets.
On 27th March 2000 at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica, Courtney overtook Kapil Dev's total of 434 test wickets to become the leading test wicket taker
And on 20th March 2001 at Queens Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad, Courtney became the first bowler ever to 500 test wickets.
A huge THANK YOU TO SHEILA LEE for the background and logo for this page, which make it very special.
Page created 13th Nov 1998 and put on air 27th Nov 1998 within 5 minutes of the event.
last update 16th May 2001.
