Only Ben Stokes defied the conditions as wickets continued to tumble in the final Test between England and West Indies on Friday — two of them to James Anderson to see the seamer become just the sixth bowler to pass 500 test wickets. West Indies emerged with a 22-run lead after a rain-affected day which kept conditions ideal for the quick bowlers at Lord's. The tourists only had seven wickets in their second innings after reaching 93/3 at stumps.
Nine wickets fell on Friday after 14 went down on Thursday and a result appears inevitable in the series-decider.
Either England will seal a second straight series win of the summer to set it up for its next contest, the Ashes in Australia at the end of the year.
Or West Indies will win its first series in England in nearly 30 years. The last time the West Indies won in England, the great Viv Richards was in the team.
Shai Hope was 35 not out for West Indies at the close on Day 2, and key to its hopes of building a significant enough lead to push for victory.
Anderson went to 500 in his second over of the innings when he bowled Kraigg Brathwaite with a ball that seamed back into the right-hander and clattered into middle stump.
It put Anderson alongside Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne, Anil Kumble, Glenn McGrath and Courtney Walsh as the only bowlers to take 500 Test wickets. Anderson is the first Englishman to reach the mark.
Earlier, Stokes followed up his 6/22 in West Indies' first innings to hit 60 in England's 194 all out. That was easily the best performance with the bat in the match.
