Warne Is The Best

Shane Warne leapfrogged Dennis Lillee as Australia's greatest Test wicket-taker in the first Test victory over New Zealand here today with more cricket glories beckoning.

The 30-year-old leg-spinning maestro broke Lillee's 16-year record of 355 wickets when he dismissed Kiwi tail-ender Paul Wiseman to seal a 62-run victory and extend Australia's winning sequence to eight Tests.

As soon as I saw him sweep, and it hit somewhere and went up, I was appealing, said Warne.

It was really a great Test match to be part of but I probably tried too hard to get the record as much as I said 'just relax, bowl the way you have been bowling'. It's a relief now that it's out of the way but it's a very proud moment. It was a fitting way to finish a Test match.

There has been so many highlights and this match rates pretty highly, breaking the great man's record, and hopefully I'll share a beer with him soon. Someone will break my record down the track and I'll hopefully share a beer with them and watch it.

Meanwhile, Lillee says he will enjoy a congratulatory ale with Shane Warne after the leg-spinner claimed his mantle as Australia's most successful Test bowler.

I'm honoured to have achieved the record in my time, but I'm just as pleased that a bowler and a bloke as great as Shane Warne has overtaken my record, Lillee said.

It makes me smile that I took it from one of the greatest, Richie Benaud, and now possibly the greatest legspinner of them all has repeated the dose on me. Congratulations, Warney.