In England’s innings there were three century partnerships – 154 runs for the sixth wicket between AN Cook and IR Bell : 107 runs for the seventh wicket between IR Bell and MJ Prior and 102 for the eighth wicket between MJ Prior and TT Bresnan – providing the first occasion of a team posting century partnerships for consecutive – sixth, seventh and eighth wickets – in an innings in the annals of test cricket constituting a world record

The two century partnerships – 107 runs for the seventh wicket between IR Bell and MJ Prior and 102 for the eighth wicket between MJ Prior and TT Bresnan in England’s innings provided the second occasion of a team posting century partnerships for consecutive – seventh and eighth wickets – in an innings in the annals of test cricket. The first such occasion was witnessed in the test between Australia and India at Sydney in Jan 2008, when A Symonds and GB Hogg added 173 runs for the seventh wicket which was followed by another century stand of 114 runs for the eighth wicket of 114 runs between A Symonds and GB Hogg.