The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : McGrath happy to delay wicket No. 500

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Wednesday, Mar 30, 2005

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Sport - Cricket

McGrath happy to delay wicket No. 500

AUCKLAND, MARCH 29. Faced with the choice of taking his 500th Test wicket at a packed house at Lord's, the home of cricket, or at an empty New Zealand rugby ground, and the answer was obvious for Glenn McGrath.

The ageless Aussie paceman ended the third Test against New Zealand one short of the landmark before a handful of spectators at Eden Park.

Australia's next Test isn't until the Ashes series against England at Lord's in London in July.

"As a cricketer, there is no better place to reach a major milestone like 500 wickets," said McGrath, who lies fourth on the all-time Test wicket-takers list behind teammate Shane Warne's 583, Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan's 532 and West Indian Courtney Walsh's 519.

The 35-year-old had a chance of reaching 500 against New Zealand, but to keep his hopes alive of doing it in that match he would had to have dropped a lofted catch from Daniel Vettori.

With 498 dismissals in the bag and two New Zealand wickets remaining, McGrath was fielding at deep mid-off when Vettori skied a ball from Shane Warne.

As he waited for the lofted ball to come down, he knew to hold on to it would mean the end of his 500 dream for the time being.

"I actually gave myself about 40 percent chance of catching it. I wasn't too safe under it but it stuck." McGrathbowled Paul Wiseman to end the New Zealand innings and claim his 499th Test scalp. He has already named England opener Andrew Strauss as his Ashes series target. — AFP

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