Walsh milestone on a par with Pele
West Indies cricketer Courtney Walsh on Monday reached one of the most significant sporting milestones since soccer's Pele scored his 1,000th goal 32 years ago.
The veteran Jamaican fast bowler made history by taking his 500th wicket in test cricket, becoming the first player to reach the landmark in the history of the game.
Walsh, 38, and probably playing his last test series, reached the magic figure when he took two wickets in the space of three balls during the second test against South Africa at Queen's Park Oval.
Jacques Kallis was the man on the wrong end of sporting history when he was lbw for nought on the second ball he received.
Kallis defended the ball with his pad, the West Indians appealed loudly, the crowd went wild with anticipation and, after what seemed an eternity, Australian umpire Darrell Hare lifted his finger to set off wild celebrations around the ground.
The fact that television replays suggested Kallis was slightly unlucky failed to dampen the celebrations.
Security guards had to stop fans from climbing the fence around the pitch to mob their hero, the South Africans embraced Walsh at the tea interval and Jamaican prime minister PJ Patterson was quick to send a tribute.
"We think it is a fitting reward for his excellence, his commitment and I would like to express my congratulations and those of the people and government of Jamaica," he told CANA radio from Kingston.
Walsh's feat may be surpassed one day, although it is unlikely to be done by a quick bowler.
It may not prove quite such a daunting task as emulating Pele's achievement since the legendary Brazil, who passed his milestone in a club match at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana stadium in 1969, played in an era when goals were easier to come by.
Nobody has since got near his mark.
FIRST WICKET IN 1984
It has taken Walsh, who began his career as a first-change workhorse rather than a strike bowler, nearly 17 years of almost non-stop test cricket to reach the 500. During this time, he has been helped by an unparalleled fitness record.
His total includes 21 hauls of five wickets in an innings and three of 10 in a match.
Walsh began with the scalp of Australia's Graeme Wood, caught by Richie Richardson for 56, at the WACA in Perth in 1984.
He became West Indies' leading test wicket-taker by passing Malcolm Marshall's mark of 376 in November 1998, then joined Kapil Dev and Sir Richard Hadlee in March 1999 as the only bowlers to take 400 test wickets.
That Walsh landmark was also achieved at the Queen's Park Oval.
In March last year, he became the leading wicket-taker in tests by passing Kapil's record of 434.
During the last five years Walsh has carried the West Indian attack with Curtly Ambrose, his trusty ally until the great Antiguan retired at the end of the series in England last September.
Walsh has shouldered his part of the burden in uncomplaining fashion, as well as taking on the responsibility of captaining a declining side in 1994 and 1996-97 and continuing to play for English county Gloucestershire until 1998.
Throughout this phase, the skills he learned in his native Jamaica, which were developed in England and honed to perfection on test grounds around the world, remained undiminished.
Walsh has always been a thinking cricketer, as he showed in the way he adjusted to bowling in English conditions.
His 1984 county debut season, restricted by West Indies' tour of England, brought 18 wickets at an expensive 34.55 each but 12 months later he was savouring a haul of 82 county championship wickets at a mere 19.95.
Walsh, though certainly capable of quick deliveries, has never generated consistent pace in the manner of compatriot Michael Holding, with whom his test career overlapped in the mid-1980s.
Supple, with a high action, Walsh achieves disconcertingly awkward bounce, while his variations in pace and length have brought about the downfall of many batsmen.
Walsh is also notable for possessing one of the worst batting records in test cricket.
Just one hour before making history, Walsh was run out in almost comical style and he make his 42nd test duck.
His wicket brought the West Indies first innings to an end and left Ridley Jacobs without a batting partner when he needed just seven runs to complete his maiden test century.
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