England Test cricket records date back to the first Test match, between England and Australia in March 1877 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. England will play their 1,000th Test match starting on Wednesday, the most by any Test playing team. As of July 2018[update], England is the third most successful team in Test cricket with an overall winning percentage of 35.73, behind Australia at 47.16 and South Africa at 37.70. Opening batsman and former captain Alastair Cook (pictured) holds several England Test cricket records. He has scored over 10,000 Test runs, the only England player to do so. Captaining his side from 2010 until he stood down in 2016, Cook holds the record for the most matches played as English skipper with 59, the Test record for the most consecutive matches played with 154 and the record for the most matches played for England with 156. Fast bowler James Anderson is the most prolific wicket-taker for England having taken a total of 540 wickets throughout his 138 match career. England claims two age records, James Southerton as the oldest player to make his Test debut at 49 and Wilfred Rhodes aged 52 as the oldest cricketer to ever play in a Test match. (Full list...)