Ben Stokes feels "blessed" to be working with such a strong bowling unit as England wrapped up a 267-run rout of New Zealand in the first Test in Mount Maunganui.

After Stuart Broad's mesmerising Saturday spell, in which he removed four of the Black Caps' top order, James Anderson swept up the tail as England finished an impressive job within one session at Bay Oval on Sunday.

During the match, Anderson and Broad – first and second on England's all-time list of Test wicket-takers – became the most successful partnership in the history of five-day cricket, tallying 1,009 combined by the end of the match to surpass the previous best of 1,001 achieved by Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne.

With Ollie Robinson also in England's best XI, and Mark Wood, Olly Stone, Matthew Potts, Jofra Archer, Saqib Mahmood and Chris Woakes among those knocking on the door, captain Stokes is blessed with options ahead of the Ashes versus Australia later this year.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: "It was another great performance – very clinical with the bat and very clinical with the ball. 

"When you look at the bowling attack we have got with the pink ball under the lights, we executed everything we wanted. To have Jimmy and Broady in your bowling attack, it is always going to be tough for the opposition.

"The most pleasing thing was that whatever New Zealand threw at us with the ball, we managed to react to that. It was entertaining cricket. Even though we came away with the result, [entertaining] is what we want to do. Some days it is not going to work, but thankfully everything we tried to do paid off.

"I am pretty blessed to be in charge of this bowling group at the moment. The idea is to take 10 wickets and that is what we are trying to do – taking the scoreboard away in any situation. 

"As long as we are taking 10 wickets, it doesn't really matter how many runs we go for. We have an ethos with the bat but also with the ball."

England have racked up six straight Test wins as the Stokes-Brendon McCullum revolution continues at a pace.

This represented a 10th win from 12 Tests as captain, the joint-fastest a skipper has reached the milestone.

"There are 10 other people who have to go out there and do a job," Stokes added to BBC Sport. "I'm very lucky to be able to captain this team at the moment.

"When you look at captaincy records, it's only a small part of it.

"It's not only my captaincy and ideas that are allowing us to play this way, you also have to have the players fully behind you, to follow you out there with what you want to do.

"I've got off to a great start with my captaincy, but most of that has got to go down to the players."

New Zealand captain Tim Southee felt his team created plenty of opportunities for wickets but did not do enough to stop England when they were in full attack mode.

"It is disappointing, but credit to England, strategically they played it pretty well. We were on the receiving end of a couple of night periods that obviously weren't ideal," Southee told Sky Sports.

"The style they play is going to present opportunities, and we saw that in the first innings. We got nine wickets in the end, and in the second innings we got all 10 – but it's about stopping the bleeding in between."

England secured a 1-0 series lead in their two-game Test series in New Zealand with a 267-run victory as the hosts' day four resistance was futile in Mount Maunganui on Sunday.

The Black Caps resumed at 63-5 with an improbable target of 394 after Stuart Broad took four wickets with the pink ball in the third day's evening session, but lost another three inside the first four overs on day four to scupper any hopes of a rally.

New Zealand were eventually bowled out for 126 with Daryl Mitchell (57*) the lone hand for the hosts, as James Anderson took four day-four wickets to finish with 4-18 from 10.3 overs.

Veteran right-arm fast bowler Anderson led the way after Jack Leach got the first breakthrough with Michael Bracewell lobbing to Harry Brook at midwicket for 25.

Anderson claimed the wickets of Scott Kuggeleijn lbw and Tim Southee caught by Joe Root at first slip in successive balls in the next over, before also having a driving Neil Wagner caught behind by Ben Foakes.

Mitchell brought up his sixth Test half-century during a 35-run 10th-wicket partnership with Blair Tickner which lasted almost an hour but merely delayed the end.

Anderson got the final wicket, hitting the top of Tickner's off-stump to round out an emphatic victory before the lunch break.

The second Test is in Wellington starting on Friday.

Anderson and Broad extend record

Anderson and Broad made history on Saturday, breaking Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath's record for the most wickets playing together, which stood at 1,001.

Broad's four wickets on Saturday took them to 1,005, while 40-year-old Anderson's quartet on Sunday extended that further to 1,009.

Brook named best afield

There was no genuine standout performer for England throughout the match, but Brook was named Player of the Match for his scores of 89 and 54.

The honour came in only Brook's fifth Test for England, with his natural talent on display, managing a strike rate of 117.2 across his two innings.

Stuart Broad paid tribute to James Anderson after earning the England pair a place in the record books with a devastating display against New Zealand.

Broad took 4-21 on day three as he bowled four Black Caps top-order batters on Saturday, reducing the home side to 63-5 in their pursuit of 394 for victory in the first Test.

His efforts saw Broad and Anderson move to 1,005 Test wickets in matches where they have lined up in the same England team, going four past the record previously held by Australia greats Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath.

Broad, 36, and 40-year-old Anderson have proven a remarkable pace partnership for England over the years, having first played on the same Test side at Wellington on a 2008 tour of New Zealand.

Fifteen years on, they remain key cogs in Brendon McCullum's England set-up.

Broad was quick to say Warne and McGrath remain a class apart, but he had fond words for Anderson, describing him as "a great leader to follow".

"It's a special country for us, New Zealand," Broad told BT Sport. "Back in 2008 at Wellington we came into the team together and to go past heroes of mine, growing up, in McGrath and Warne, certainly we're not in the category and quality of those two, they're absolutely heroic in what they did for the game.

"But to be up there and to have taken the amount of wickets with Jimmy – I feel very lucky and blessed to have been born in the same era as Jimmy, because certainly without him I wouldn't have been able to be at the other end taking wickets in the partnership that we've had.

"I've learnt so much from him throughout my career and he's probably the reason I'm still going at 36, in the way that he's done it."

England put up 374 in their second innings at Mount Maunganui's Bay Oval, with Joe Root top-scoring with 57 amid a slew of useful scores, with eight batters each contributing at least 25 runs.

Broad said he liked the look of the conditions while observing Tim Southee bowling for New Zealand earlier in the day.

"I saw from Timmy bowling this morning when he rolled his fingers across a few, I saw the nip to Rooty," Broad said. "That was quite encouraging, actually.

"Although the pitch has played pretty true in the day, when the evening's come it's just jagged around a little bit, so my game plan was to try to hit the pitch as hard as I possibly can with the wobble seam, and it's almost the perfect dryness of pitch for my kind of bowling.

"I didn't have to chase too full. I could still bowl it hard into the pitch and bring the stumps into play, and it's always nice when you get a few quality batters out, bowled."

James Anderson and Stuart Broad have become the most successful bowling partnership in the history of Test cricket after Broad bowled Devon Conway in England's match against New Zealand on day three.

The late Shane Warne and fellow Australian great Glenn McGrath had previously held the record, having combined for 1,001 wickets during their illustrious careers.

It was a record that looked like potentially standing the test of time, with the two Australia legends retiring 16 years ago.

But the England pair moved level with them on day two of the first Test at Bay Oval on Friday when Anderson took 3-36 and Broad finished with figures of 1-72.

That was their 133rd appearance together – Warne and McGrath reached their total in 104 matches.

The record-breaking wicket came in the fourth over of New Zealand's second innings, with the hosts having been set a target of 394 to chase down for an improbable victory.

Broad left New Zealand at 14-1 after his around-the-wicket delivery snuck through Conway's defence, immediately celebrating with Anderson as the duo were well aware of what they had just accomplished.

Broad went on to bowl Kane Williamson in his next over, making it 14-2 after an Anderson maiden in between.

New Zealand was a fitting location for them to reach the landmark, with the pairing having first teamed up together in Wellington way back in 2008.

Tom Blundell frustrated England by making a magnificent century before New Zealand took two wickets under the lights on an enthralling day two of the first Test at Bay Oval.

The Black Caps were in trouble on 83-5 in reply to the tourists' 325-9 declared in Mount Maunganui, but Blundell made a Test-best 138 to get them up to 306 all out.

Devon Conway (77) also batted superbly after being dropped by Zak Crawley when he had only nine runs to his name on day one.

Blundell and Blair Tickner put on 59 for the final wicket before England closed on 79-2 in the day-night Test, leading by 98 after losing openers Ben Duckett and Crawley.

Neil Wagner hung around to make 27 after New Zealand resumed on 37-3 on Friday before falling to Stuart Broad, and the excellent Ollie Robinson (4-54) trapped Daryl Mitchell leg before without scoring.

Conway and Blundell combined for a 75-run stand, but the Black Caps were six down when the opener pulled Ben Stokes to Ollie Pope at square leg, and Jack Leach got in the act by removing Michael Bracewell.

Scott Kuggeleijn chipped in with 20 before Robinson cleaned up the debutant and sent Tim Southee on his way, so it was left for Tickner to dig in and enable Blundell to reach three figures.

Blundell's sublime knock was finally ended when he was caught and bowled by James Anderson (3-36), leaving the England batters a tricky period to bat late in the day.

Duckett (25) and Crawley (28) got starts but fell to Tickner and Kuggeleijn respectively. Broad had a life when Kuggeleijn and Blundell looked at each other rather than going for a catch after being sent in as a 'nighthawk', seeing it through to the close along with Ollie Pope. 

Blundell ensures it is game on

England would have had a substantial lead but for an outstanding innings from Blundell.

He made a fourth Test hundred, having also scored a century against England at Trent Bridge last year.

The wicketkeeper-batter struck 19 fours and a six, spending just over three hours at the crease to keep his team in the game.

Anderson and Broad equal record

Anderson and Broad matched the record set by Australia legends Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath for the most successful bowling partnership in Test history.

The England duo have 1,001 wickets between them when playing together after taking one apiece on day two, and they will surely break new ground in this match.

Simone Edwards, Jamaica and former Seattle Storm player in the WNBA, has died after a prolonged fight with ovarian cancer. She was 49 years old.

Edwards, who was diagnosed with aggressive ovarian cancer in early 2021, passed away at her home in Florida on Thursday.

Her passing was announced by the Seattle Storm on Thursday night.

“We are saddened by the passing of our very own Simone Forbes,” the franchise posted on Twitter.

“Our Jamaican Hurricane was a warrior on and off the court. With her indefatigable energy and optimism, she brought happiness to so many.

“Our thoughts and condolences are with Simone’s family and loved ones at this time.”

Forbes was the first Jamaican female player to play in the WNBA, playing for the New York Liberty and the Seattle Storm, winning the WNBA title in 2004.

She retired from the WNBA in 2006.

On August 5, 2007, she was hired as an assistant coach at Radford University and she was an assistant at George Mason University from 2008-2011.

Edwards coached the Jamaican women's national basketball team and led them to a 2014 Caribbean Championship.

On August 6, 2017, the Government of Jamaica conferred the national award, the Order of Distinction which is bestowed on citizens of Jamaica who have rendered outstanding and important service to Jamaica in their field.

President of Jamaica Basketball Association, Paulton Gordon was shock and saddened by the news.

“We heard this afternoon that she has passed. I spoke with her about three weeks ago and she was upbeat,” he said.

“We are really saddened at her passing. She was the national coordinator for our youth teams and we were looking to working closely with her to prepare the U17 team for the regional competition this year.

“Condolences to her immediate family, her friends and the broader basketball family. I will certainly miss her technical guidance and support for Jamaica Basketball.”

James Anderson struck twice under the lights to put England on top in the first Test against New Zealand after Ben Stokes declared on day one.

Ben Duckett struck a rapid 84 off only 68 balls and Harry Brook made a majestic 89 from 81 deliveries as the tourists put 325 runs on the board from 58.2 overs before Stokes ended the innings at Bay Oval.

The Black Caps were in trouble on 37-3 at stumps in the day-night match in Mount Maunganui, the outstanding Anderson taking 2-10 after Ollie Robinson got rid of Tom Latham.

Tim Southee asked England to bat first at the start of a two-match series that got under way following great work from the ground staff so soon after Cyclone Gabrielle had passed through.

Southee got rid of Zak Crawley early on with the pink ball, but the aggressive Duckett and Ollie Pope put on 99 for the second wicket.

Duckett fell before lunch when he struck debutant Blair Tickner to Michael Bracewell and Pope was dismissed by Southee (2-71) for 42 before Neil Wagner removed Joe Root (14).

England were 209-5 when Scott Kuggeleijn (2-80) claimed the scalp of Stokes on debut, but Brook raced to a 43-ball half-century as he put on 89 with Ben Foakes in quick time.

Brook missed out on making it four hundreds in as many Tests when he dragged on to a delivery from Wagner, who also saw the back of Foakes (38) and Jack Leach before Stokes declared.

Robinson then had Latham caught at short leg, with Anderson generating movement off the seam and through the air as he trapped Kane Williamson leg before and had Henry Nicholls caught by Crawley in the slips.

Devon Conway was still there at the close after being dropped by Crawley on nine and nightwatchman Wagner did his job, but it was England's day.

Duckett and Brook stay in one-day mode

Opener Duckett and Brook have grabbed their chance with both hands after coming into the Test side last year, piling on the runs in a historic 3-0 series win in Pakistan.

Duckett set the tempo at the top of the order, putting the bowlers under pressure as he crashed 14 boundaries in a swashbuckling knock.

Brook then took centre stage once again, showing his class as he found the rope 15 times and struck Tim Southee for a glorious six down the ground.

Anderson puts deadly duo on verge of history

England's legendary duo of Anderson and Stuart Broad came into this match closing in on become the most successful bowling partnership in Test history.

Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath combined to claim 1,001 when they were in the same Australia team.

Two scalps for Anderson moved the evergreen seamer and Broad on to 999, within touching distance of setting a new record.

England Test captain Ben Stokes hailed his "exciting" bowling options ahead of the first Test of the tour of New Zealand.

Experienced duo James Anderson and Stuart Broad have been named along with Ollie Robinson for the Bay Oval Test, with Jack Leach providing the option of spin.

After struggling to find enough seam bowlers to field last year when several were out injured, including Jofra Archer, Robinson, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood and Sam Curran among others, Stokes now has a number to choose from.

And the 31-year-old said at a pre-Test press conference that it bodes well ahead of a busy summer that includes a home Ashes series.

"We've got a great crop of fast bowlers coming through England at the moment and it's exciting," he said. "It's a great place to be in now, considering the first game we had last summer when we probably had only three or four seamers to pick from. I'd rather be in a position where I'm scratching my head about who to pick.

"The one thing I did say to the medical team is just give me eight fast bowlers to choose from. We always want variety in our bowling line-up. We've got Jimmy and Broady with experience and you want some kind of X-factor in there.

"I feel heading into this summer we're in a position where we feel we've got that."

Stone and Matthew Potts were recalled as part of the touring squad, though both missed out on being named in the side for the first Test.

"With Stoney, I think it's great to have him back around the group after a potentially career-ending injury [stress fractures in his back]," Stokes added. "To see him back, bowling quick and bowling aggressively, which is what we want him to do, is great signs for us.

"Pottsy is just going from strength to strength for someone who's not played that much cricket really. I think he proved last summer what a great find he was."

James Anderson hailed the depth of bowling talent available to England ahead of the first Test in New Zealand, saying the presence of Matthew Potts and Olly Stone is keeping him on his toes.

England will attempt to continue their outstanding form under head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes across a two-match series in New Zealand this month, having won nine of their last 10 Tests.

England bolstered their seam attack by recalling Potts, Stone and Stuart Broad for the trip to McCullum's homeland, with Mark Wood and Rehan Ahmed rested after starring in last year's 3-0 whitewash of Pakistan.

With Jofra Archer also impressing on his long-awaited ODI return after an injury-ravaged few years, Anderson is in awe at the options available to England.

"To be able to bring these guys [Potts and Stone] back into the squad after having Mark Wood in Pakistan, and with Jofra getting back fit, it feels like we're building up a real good bank of fast bowlers that will be able to win games in any conditions anywhere in the world," Anderson told The Guardian.

"I think whether they're young or old, guys always keep you on your toes. Broady's keeping me on my toes, we're pushing each other in the nets all the time.

"At the minute, Ollie Robinson is probably one of the best bowlers in the world, for me. 

"He just doesn't miss, can swing it both ways, nips it, gets bounce – he's comfortably the one bowler that the guys don't want to face in the nets here. Everyone keeps you on your toes and it keeps those standards really high."

England have not won a Test series in New Zealand since 2007-08, when a 26-year-old Anderson tore through the hosts' top five in Wellington to kick-start their comeback in a 2-1 triumph.

Anderson was invited to play for Auckland against Wellington in the State Championship ahead of that impressive outing in the second Test, a decision criticised by several members of the New Zealand team – including McCullum – for enabling the England man to find form. 

"It was amazing for me. It turned out to be a very good decision. I bowled a lot of overs. I didn't set the world alight but it got me into a good rhythm to play the next Test," Anderson recalled.

"Baz brought that up the other day. He was fuming at the time! Apparently the whole New Zealand team were fuming with Auckland. It was huge for both of us.

"And not just the way we played, but with [Matthew] Hoggard and [Steve] Harmison having been such a massive part of England's success – the 2005 Ashes and Harmy being number one in the world at one point. 

"Them being the senior bowlers and us taking their places gave us so much confidence to go on and try and emulate them. We never looked back."

James Anderson is enjoying the thrill ride of Ben Stokes' England captaincy and the challenge of "thinking differently", ahead of the third and final Test against Pakistan.

The 40-year-old has impressed in the tourists' first two matches and will be rested for the last encounter, with an eye on England's trip to New Zealand in the new year.

With 177 caps, Anderson is second only to India great Sachin Tendulkar for all-time Test appearances, and he has posted eight wickets at 18.50 while in Pakistan.

His efforts come amid a more aggressive approach to the long-form game favoured by Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, which Anderson says is having a galvanising effect on all England's bowlers.

"I love thinking about the game, thinking about plans, and Ben is that sort of captain," Anderson said. "All he thinks about is taking wickets.

"He's not bothered about trying to dry the run rate up or control the game. He wants to take wickets. You see that with the fields he sets. That then rubs off on you as a bowler.

"This seems to be working for this group of bowlers, and we've got a nice mix of bowlers. I've found it refreshing thinking differently, even though I've played a lot of games."

The third Test begins on Saturday, with Anderson expecting England to head in with the same positive approach that has brought two wins so far, as instilled by captain and coach.

"As long as you're getting hit in the right areas, they don't care if you go for the odd four," Anderson said, quoted by Cricinfo. "That gives you confidence to bowl, knowing that you don't have to fret about how many runs you're going for.

"If that's the way you're trying to get people out, with catchers in front of the wicket as they have been out here, then they're completely fine with it."

Rehan Ahmed will become the youngest man to play a Test for England when the teenager makes his debut in the final match of the series against Pakistan.

Ahmed will be aged 18 years and 126 days when he makes his Test bow at the National Stadium in Karachi on Saturday.

The leg-spinning all-rounder will break a long-standing record held by Brian Close since back in 1949.

Ahmed and Ben Foakes come into the side as replacements for Will Jacks and James Anderson.

Nottingham-born Ahmed earned a call-up with some impressive performances for Leicestershire in the County Championship.

While Ahmed will be making his first Test appearance, Pakistan batter Azhar Ali has announced he will retire from the longest format after playing in Karachi.

England have already won the series and will be looking to pull off a first whitewash in Pakistan.

James Anderson says England's incredible 74-run Test victory over Pakistan may be the best he has ever played in.

The tourists took a 1-0 lead in dramatic fashion late on the final day at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Jack Leach taking the final wicket with the light fading rapidly.

Seamers Anderson and Ollie Robinson were outstanding, generating reverse swing with an old ball on a placid pitch as Pakistan were bowled out for 268 in a run-fest after a bold day-four declaration from Ben Stokes.

Anderson took 4-36 and Robinson 4-50, while Stokes also bowled brilliantly in England's first away Test victory over Pakistan for 22 years - and only their third of all time in the country.

The evergreen Anderson felt the victory on a surface that was a batter's paradise could be the finest of his long Test career.

Asked if he had seen anything like it, he told Sky Sports: "I don’t think I have actually. It's probably one of the best wins I've been involved in, if not the best.

"On a pitch like that, to play the way we did, to score runs at the rate we did, we gave ourselves a chance to get the result.

"It was an unbelievable effort from everyone. We knew it was going to be difficult, it just feels like with Ben and Brendon [head coach McCullum], their mantra is 'we've got to take wickets'. We look to take wickets all the time.

"We knew it was a big push, we dug deep to get anything out of that wicket."

Anderson, Robinson and Stokes bowled 66 second-innings overs between them in a Herculean effort in the heat.

The 40-year-old Anderson said "I think we all kept each other going. At times each of us was tired and one of us would pick the other up. We managed to get through some long spells.

"It's nice to have the win but I don't think tomorrow will feel great for me. It was a long five days."

Ollie Robinson and James Anderson starred as England claimed a famous 74-run win in an enthralling first Test against Pakistan at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Ben Stokes was rewarded for a bold declaration when the tourists claimed a first away victory over Pakistan in the longest format for 22 years on a benign pitch late on the final day.

Robinson took 4-50 and the evergreen Anderson 4-36 before Jack Leach ended a defiant last-wicket stand with the light  fading to bowl Babar Azam's side out for 268 after they were set 343 to win.

England's seamers were outstanding, generating sharp reverse swing with an old ball to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series in their first Test in Pakistan for 17 years.

Anderson struck an early blow after Pakistan resumed on 80-2, snaring Imam-ul-Haq caught behind by Ollie Pope down the leg side for 48.

Saud Shakeel (76) and Mohammad Rizwan (46) took their side on to 169-3 at lunch, but Pakistan's wicketkeeper-batsman nicked Anderson through to Pope early in the afternoon session.

Keaton Jennings, the substitute fielder due to a tour-ending knee injury sustained by Liam Livingstone, took a brilliant diving catch at short cover off the bowling of Robinson to remove Shakeel.

Azhar Ali (40) played with great composure, after retiring hurt on day four with a finger injury, as he combined with Agha Salman to frustrate the tourists, Stokes and Anderson bowling excellent spells without further reward.

Pope dropped Azhar off Robinson down the leg side off the next ball, but the seamer ended a stand of 61 by trapping Salman leg before and then had Azhar caught by Joe Root at leg slip.

Naseem Shah had a huge stroke of luck with the first ball he faced when Robinson clipped his off stump but the bails stayed on, but Pakistan were eight down when Pope took a stunning catch for Anderson down the leg side to see the back of Zahid Mahmood.

Anderson got Haris Rauf lbw and although Mohammad Ali and Naseem dug in for just under nine overs, the latter fell lbw to Leach to give England one of their greatest wins after Stokes left it late to take the new ball.

Robinson and Anderson swing the game in England's favour

You would expect the spinners to play a massive part on the final day, but it was the reverse swing generated by England's seamers that was crucial.

Robinson generated sharp movement in the air, striking twice early in the last session to set England well on their way to victory.

Anderson was also magnificent, the 40-year-old once again showing age is no barrier as he bowled 24 probing overs on a lifeless pitch.

Stokes can do no wrong

Captain Stokes became only the third England captain to win a Test in Pakistan after Ted Dexter and Nasser Hussain.

The skipper could not have wished for a better start to his reign, beating New Zealand, South Africa and India on home soil this year and leading the side superbly in this remarkable Test.

James Anderson has backed Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum's aggressive approach ahead of England's first Test against Pakistan, but acknowledges they are in the dark over what to expect on the pitch.

The tourists kick off a three-match series in Rawalpindi on December 1, marking their first return to the country for red-ball cricket since 2005.

England had not toured Pakistan in the wake of the Sri Lanka bus attack in 2009 until September this year, when they returned to the nation for a seven-game T20 series ahead of the World Cup.

But having won six out of seven Tests on home turf under an all-guns-blazing approach from captain Stokes and coach McCullum, Anderson is ready to maintain the momentum on their trip overseas.

"We've got a captain and coach that don't want draws," the 40-year-old told BBC Sport. "We're not playing for draws.

"We don't know how it's going to play. Traditionally it is flat. We'll come out and try to win the game - we might have to be creative in how we do that."

Though a member of the party for England's last Test tour of Pakistan in 2005, Anderson did not feature, but he did play in a string of ODI matches.

That means the veteran red-ball specialist is in the dark on what to expect from his wicket, although he says he is still delighted to finally get the chance to play the longer format there.

"It's great to be back," he said. "Seventeen years is a long time. It would be wrong if I said, 'The pitch is going to play like this', or, 'This is what to expect'.

"There will be times when we have to soak up pressure. We get that.

"But there will be times when we have to put pressure back on the opposition and the skill we're trying to develop is when to do that.

"With the ball we're trying to take wickets. The captain and coach have made that quite clear - every time you run in to bowl it's about taking wickets - not about controlling the run-rate. It's about how we're going to get 20 wickets."

James Anderson claimed Brendon McCullum's England have changed the way the world views Test cricket as they closed in on a series win over South Africa.

McCullum has introduced a thrilling style since taking over as England's red-ball coach in May, leading the side to a whitewash of New Zealand and a terrific chase victory over India at Edgbaston. 

While South Africa dealt the coach-captain duo of McCullum and Ben Stokes their first Test match defeat last month, the hosts are on the brink of completing a 2-1 series triumph over the tourists after impressing with both ball and bat at The Oval on Sunday.

England will require just 33 runs to wrap up a fourth consecutive series win over the Proteas when the decisive third Test resumes on Monday, and Anderson is relishing their revival. 

"It's been amazing, I'll be honest, Baz [McCullum] has been a breath of fresh air. He's come in and it just feels positive, there's a positive atmosphere in that dressing room," Anderson told Sky Sports.

"The messages he sends about going out there and trying to entertain, everyone's bought into it. Some days it hasn't paid off, but when it has, it's spectacular. 

"It's changed the way not only some of the players have thought about Test cricket, but maybe even the way the world thinks about Test cricket. 

"Hopefully we can get the job done tomorrow. Still 33 runs to get on a tricky wicket, we'll just try and get it done as professionally as we can."

With 667 wickets in the format, Anderson is the third most prolific bowler in Test cricket history, behind Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Shane Warne (708).

He was joined in the top five of that illustrious list by Stuart Broad on Sunday, as his three dismissals moved him clear of Glenn McGrath with 566 red-ball wickets.

Anderson was delighted by his team-mate's achievement, adding: "It means a lot to him because of how high he held Glenn in his eyes.

"So for him to go past him, it means a lot to him and shows the amount of work he's put in, the dedication to his job, and his skill as well. It's a pleasure to bowl at the other end."

Having benefited from the decision to stop play for bad light when South Africa were on top on Saturday, England were left frustrated after not being given the opportunity to finish the visitors off a day later.

Despite his annoyance at the umpire's decision to call time, Anderson remains confident England will see the match through on Monday, adding: "It's obviously frustrating from our point of view, because the rate we were scoring at, we might only have needed another five or six overs. 

"The guys were seeing the ball pretty well and with a good crowd in here it would have been nice to finish it. 

"The point of view of the umpires is they took a reading yesterday, that's the precedent for the whole game, and I think their message was if it rained all day tomorrow it would be unfair on South Africa to get the game done today.

"It's frustrating, but hopefully we'll come back and get the job done.

"I'd like to think that common sense would prevail. At the minute, the reading is the precedent for the rest of the game, but in certain situations you do think common sense could come into play."