Warne takes 600 wicket, but it's not Pietersen!

Shane Warne re-wrote the record books at Old Trafford today, 12 years after making his Ashes Test debut and 12 years after bowling "The ball of the century" to Mike Gatting. Bowling at the same ground, the 35 year old playing in his last overseas Ashes series took his 600th wicket, the first person in international Test cricket to do so.

In his 126th Test today, Marcus Trescothick, not Kevin Pietersen became "600", fittingly caught behind by Adam Gilchrist. Warne's record has been a truly remarkable one and who could have imagined the success the spinner would achieve after the inauspicious start in 1992, playing against India he took his first and only wicket. His first victim in Test cricket was Ravi Shastri, caught by Dean Jones for 206 at the Sydney Test - for the record books Warne's figures were nothing short of ordinary; 45 overs, 7 maidens, 150 runs and just the one wicket - how important does that wicket look now!! Shastri was named man of the match, something Warne achieved 16 times.

Warne enjoyed a terrific applause from the Manchester crowd today, taking his hat off in recognition as he walked back to his mark following the end of the over. Organized some time ago, Warne's parents were at hand to witness the historic event. His team-mates swooped around him and Warne kissed a white rubber bracelet given to him by his daughter celebrating a private moment in the middle of all out jubilation.

It's a pretty emotional one for me. When [estranged wife] Simone and my three children went home, Brooke, my eldest daughter, gave me the wristband and said, 'You've got to be strong, Daddy', and it just says 'strength' on it," an exhausted Warne said quietly after play. "She wears one and the other kids wear one as well. I spoke to the three kids this morning and she said, 'I like your white wrist band, Daddy'. I said, 'Well, if it happens today it's for you and Jackson and Summer'."

The ball, delivered from hand at 14:26 British Summer Time caught the back of Trescothick's glove, rebounded off his bat and into the arms of Gilchrist at the second attempt via the wicket keepers thigh, Trescothick fell for 63. Muttiah Muralidaran is in second place on the all time wicket takers list with 549 scalps.

"I think it hit Gilly about four times as it bumped up," Warne said. "It hit his glove and then the back of the bat and then it hit Gilly in the knee then the head and then he caught it. It couldn't be just a regulation one."

Warne has taken 10 wickets in a match nine times in his career, his first was in 1994 against a touring South Africa side once again at the SCG in Sydney. he took 12 wickets in the match, a haul that included Cullinan and Matthews twice. His second 10 wicket haul came against England at the Gabba, taking 11 wickets for the first time in his ashes career, he also achieved his best bowling innings bowling figures of 8 for 71 in this game. In a career so far spanning 13 years, he has achieved 70 Test wickets in a calendar year three times reaching a pinnacle of 72 in 1993. Warne has also taken five wickets in an innings 30 times.

Warne heads the wicket takers in this current series with 17 wickets including this special one at a cost of just over 15 a piece. Whoever wrote Warne off before the series has been proved so so wrong, the magician still has one or two tricks left up his sleeve.

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