Anderson grabs seven wickets for Lancashire before England farewell
On Tuesday, the star player of England, James Anderson, took seven wickets for Lancashire in a County Championship match against Nottinghamshire, just eight days before his final Test appearance. In his first Championship match for over a year, Anderson took 7-35—the best figures in this season’s Championship—as Nottinghamshire were dismissed for 126 in reply to Lancashire’s first innings (353-9). The off-spinner Nathan Lyon of Team Australia then took his 800th first-class wicket as Nottinghamshire were made to follow-on at Southport, with the visitors 84-2 at stumps on the third day, needing a further 143 runs to avoid an innings defeat.
This is the first match the 41-year-old Anderson has played all season as he prepares for the first Test against the West Indies at Lord’s starting on July 10.
But in his first competitive cricket match since the fifth Test against India in March, he showed few signs of rustiness as he reeled off a remarkable 10-over opening spell of 6-19. It was the 55th five-wicket haul of his first-class career.