Muralitharan eclipses Warne's record

Kandy (Sri Lanka), Dec.3: Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan today overtook former Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne as all-time leading Test wicket-taker.

Muralitharan snared the wicket of England"s Paul Collingwood, bowling him for his individual score of 45, on day three of the first Test being played between the two sides in Kandy, sparking scenes of mass celebration in the stands at the player"s home ground.

England's seventh-wicket pair of Collingwood and Ryan Sidebottom had frustrated Murali in the opening hour of play, putting on 57 runs in slow time and batting him out of the attack.

But Murali returned to claim career wicket No.709 with the dismissal of Colingwood, and made it 710 in his next over when he removed Matthew Hoggard, stumped by Prasanna Jayawardene, Fox Sports reported.

Muralitharan finished with figures of 6-55 - his 61st Test five-wicket haul - as England were bowled out for 281, a lead of 95 runs.

Sri Lanka faced two overs before lunch, safely reaching the break on 0-2.

Murali had held the record of being the world's top wicket-taker previously, having gone past Courtney Walsh's total of 519 three years ago before Warne surged ahead.

(ANI)

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