Joe Root becomes first England player to hit 500 runs in WC

Root needed 24 runs to touch the milestone when he came out to bat against the Kiwis.

Chester-le-Street: England batsman Joe Root created history on Wednesday during his side's match against New Zealand as he became the first English player to amass 500 runs in a single edition of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.

Root needed 24 runs to touch the milestone when he came out to bat against the Kiwis. Root scored 24 runs and achieved the feat but soon after that, he was sent back to the pavilion by Trent Boult.

Root is now the fifth highest run-getter of the premier tournament. The list is topped by India batsman Rohit Sharma, who has 544 runs under his belt.

Sharma is followed by Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan (542), Australia batsman David Warner (516) and Aaron Finch (504).

England are currently on the fourth position on the points table and need to win the match to confirm their semi-final spot.