England pace bowlers Stuart Broad and James Anderson have made history by becoming the most prolific bowling partnership in Test cricket of all-time.

The duo had already equalled the tally of 1,001 wickets shared by Australian legends Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne on day two of the first Test with New Zealand in Mount Maunganui before they surpassed that mark during the third day on Saturday.

It was Broad that took the record-breaking wicket, bowling Black Caps opener Devon Conway early in the day before the Nottinghamshire ace took three more scalps to take his and Anderson's combined total to 1,005.

Broad's impressive display on Saturday has also left England well placed to win the first Test, as New Zealand closed the day on 63-5 for their second innings, still needing a further 331 runs for victory.

England are 1/80 to secure the win in what is the first match of a two-Test series, with New Zealand 25/1 in the Match Winner 3-way market and the draw 100/1.

Evergreen duo doing it in style

Broad and Anderson came into this week's first Test knowing they were in with a chance of surpassing McGrath and Warne's record which had stood since the latter duos' retirement from Test cricket after Australia's 5-0 whitewash of England during the 2006/07 Ashes series - a tour that Anderson featured on.

Heading into the contest in Mount Maunganui, Broad and Anderson were four short of McGrath and Warne's total on 997 wickets, but they moved level with the Australian duo during New Zealand's first innings, with Anderson taking three wickets and Broad one.

However, it was Broad that had the honour of breaking the record at the start of New Zealand's second innings, taking his and Anderson's partnership to 1,002 with the dismissal of Conway.

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Broad proceeded to take three more wickets during the day, with Kane Williamson, Tom Latham and Tom Blundell all falling victim to the 36-year-old, as the record-breaking tally was extended to 1,005 from 133 Test matches played together - McGrath and Warne did reach their total from just 104 matches.

With New Zealand still having five second-innings wickets in hand heading into day four, there is further potential for Broad and Anderson to extend their tally further, as England look to take a 1-0 series lead that would leave them 4/11 in the To Win Outright series market, with the hosts 80/1 and the draw 11/5.

New Zealand a fitting place to bring up the record

There was something fitting about Broad and Anderson breaking McGrath and Warne's record in New Zealand, as that is the country where the duo played their first Test together some 15 years previous, during the second Test of a three-match series with the Black Caps in Wellington in 2008.

England had lost the first match of that series and made the, what was then, controversial decision to drop the more experienced duo of Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard in favour of Broad and Anderson.

That decision proved a masterstroke as England won the game, thanks largely to a five-wicket haul from Anderson, before going on to close out the series 2-1 with a victory in Napier which remains their most recent Test success away in New Zealand - they have drawn five and lost two from their seven visits since. 

Broad and Anderson have not looked back since their 2008 heroics, going on to help England to four victories in Ashes series against Australia, as well as famous series wins away in both India and South Africa.

Individually, they sit third and fifth on the all-time list of leading Test wicket takers, with Anderson having taken 678 wickets from 178 matches and Broad having struck 571 times in 160 appearances.

More to come from iconic pair

With Broad set to turn 37 in June and Anderson 41 the following month, it is fair to say the evergreen pair are in the latter stages of their Test careers, but based on what we have seen in New Zealand this week, there are no signs they will be calling it a day just yet.

The pair have been handed a more relaxed schedule over recent years, with selectors affording them time off during certain series to recharge - indeed, the ongoing tour of New Zealand is the first time since last winter's Ashes series that the duo have featured together on foreign soil.

England's next Test match following the series in New Zealand will be against Ireland on home soil at the start of June, with that game seemingly acting as a warm up for this summer's Ashes series, with the first Test against Australia scheduled to get underway at Edgbaston on 16th June.

Broad and Anderson know all about winning the Ashes and England are 6/5 to triumph in the series and regain the urn in the To Win Outright market, while Australia are 6/5 to gain their first series success on English soil since 2001, with the draw 11/2.

bet365 News Team

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