England's Anderson closes on 600 Test wickets as rain aids Pakistan

ENGLAND, Aug 23 (AFP):England great James Anderson moved to within three wickets of becoming the first paceman to take 600 in Tests on a rain-marred morning against Pakistan at Southampton on Sunday.
Pakistan had slumped to 41-4 in reply to England's mammoth first innings 583-8 declared, a deficit of 542 runs, when rain stopped play at 1114 GMT and led to an early lunch on the third day of the third Test.
Anderson, 38, had done all the damage in a superb return of 4-21 in 11 overs.
The only bowlers with more Test wickets than the Lancashire swing specialist's haul of 596 are three retired spinners -- Sri Lanka's MuttiahMuralitharan (800), Australia's Shane Warne (708) and India's Anil Kumble (619).
England, pressing for their first series win over Pakistan in a decade at 1-0 up in a match campaign, resumed in total command after Anderson had reduced the tourists to 24-3 on Saturday.