Will James Anderson go down as an all-time England great after breaking record?
What a week it’s been for James Anderson. Not content with just
celebrating his 100th test appearance for England against the West Indies,
Jimmy broke Sir Ian Botham’s long-standing record to become the
country’s leading wicket-taker in history.
He’d already claimed wicket numbers 382 and 383, and as he roared into
bowl at Denesh Ramdin – in that typical, languid style of his – he did
something that he’s been doing for England for over a decade now; pitching the
ball up, swinging it away a little and inducing the edge from the batsmen.
Fittingly, it was his good friend Alistair Cook that pouched the catch
at first slip, and the relief on Anderson’s face – rather than unbridled joy –
was telling. He’s a family man, a quiet bloke off the pitch, and he’d found the
increased pressure and media scrutiny something of an
unwanted distraction.
So what now for the ‘Burnley Express’? Has he secured his place as an
all-time great of the game? And will we one day be calling him Sir Jimmy?
Swing King
The rise and rise of James Anderson has coincided with a reversal in
fortunes of English cricket. Once upon a time the Three Lions were very much in
the doldrums, but the early 2000s saw a sea change – with the likes of
Anderson, Andrew Flintoff, Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Strauss all bursting onto
the scene.
Fast forward a decade and a bit and Jimmy has secured his position as a
legend of English – and world – cricket. He’s played a key part in three Ashes
victories for his country, and was part of the side that in 2011 rose to the
top of the ICC World Rankings.
But perhaps his greatest legacy is his unique reinvention of swing
bowling. The great art had, by and large, died a death following the
retirements of the Pakistan pair Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. Those two were
absolute masters of getting the ball to hoop around – and Anderson became their
unlikely successor.
In typically English conditions, where the cloud is thick and the air is
heavy, Anderson is at times completely
unplayable.
Far From
Finished
But Jimmy’s career is far from over. In fact, this summer could be one
of his most important in an England shirt. There’s another Ashes battle on the
horizon, and a tricky couple of dates against the fast-improving New Zealand to
negotiate.
And of course there is the current test series in the Caribbean.
Anderson will be hoping to add a few more scalps to his record when his turn to
bowl comes, and he will know that his team mates Ballance and Bell must maintain their brilliant batting for second test.
If they can, then they will give Jimmy a great opportunity to put a bit
of distance between himself and Sir Ian in the record books.
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