Joy for Joe Root as Sheffield cricket superstar overtakes Sir Alastair Cook's England test runs record
Former Sheffield schoolboy Joe Root has secured his place in history - by becoming England’s highest ever run scorer in cricket.
The former King Ecgbert School pupil scored an unbeaten 176 today against Pakistan, to overtake former caption Sir Alastair Cook’s previous record of 12,472 on day three of the first test in Multan
Root, who learned his cricket with Sheffield Collegiate, started the match needing 71 to take top spot and got there in his first innings, securing the record with a drive for four off Aamer Jamal, moving fifth on the all-time list in his 147th Test appearance - 14 fewer than Cook managed before his retirement in 2018.
The moment was marked in low-key fashion, unnoticed by the local fans and toasted by nothing more extravagant that a touch of gloves with batting partner Ben Duckett and a pat on the shoulder.
In August, Root, aged 33, beat another of Cook's records, levelling then overtaking his record of 33 Test centuries with back-to-back hundreds against Sri Lanka at Lord's.
At the time, Cook told BBC's Test Match Special: "He is quite simply England's greatest, and it's absolutely right that he should have this record, on his own. He's just the final one to tick off..."
Only Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar have now scored more test runs than Root.
Joe Root attended Dore Primary School and then King Ecgbert School, where the future Olympic great Jessica Ennis was among his fellow pupils.
He followed in his father Matthew's footsteps, and those of former Yorkshire and England star Michael Vaughan, by joining Sheffield Collegiate CC, based at Abbeydale Park.
He was only 16 when he made his second team debut for Yorkshire County Cricket Club on July 18, 2007, hitting 57 as part of a 133 first-wicket stand with Adam Lyth.
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Two years later, in September 2009, he made his first team bow and again grasped the opportunity, top scoring for the hosts at Headingley in a defeat to Essex. He even took a superb diving catch to account for Essex and England legend Alastair Cook.
He made his Test debut in 2012, hitting 73 and 20 not out to help England achieve a first Test series win in India for nearly 30 years.
He has gone on to amass 12,578 test runs at an average of more than 50, while also excelling in T20 and One Day international cricket.