Alastair Cook became Englands highest-ever run-scorer in Test cricket when he broke the record of batting mentor Graham Gooch during the second Test against New Zealand at Headingley on Saturday.
The 30-year-old left-handed opener started England’s reply to New Zealand’s first innings 350 on Saturday needing just 32 more runs to surpass Gooch’s mark of 8,900 runs in 118 Tests.
Cook, first coached by ex-England captain Gooch as a schoolboy, reached lunch unbeaten on 27.
Then, to his 13th ball after lunch Cook passed Gooch — whose runs came in four more Tests (118 to 114) -- when he square-drove Tim Southee for four to break a record that had stood for nearly 22 years.
By going past Gooch, Cook moved up to 13th place on the all-time list of leading run-scorers in Test cricket, where retired India great Sachin Tendulkar remains way out in front with 15,921 runs in 200 matches.
England’s ten highest Test run-scorers:
Alastair Cook 2006-present: 8902
Graham Gooch 1975-1995: 8900
Alec Stewart 1990-2003: 8463
David Gower 1978-1992: 8231
Kevin Pietersen 2005-2014: 8181
Geoffrey Boycott 1964-1982: 8114
Michael Atherton 1989-2001: 7728
Colin Cowdrey 1954-1975: 7624
Ian Bell 2004-present: 7341
Walter Hammond 1927-1947: 7249
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