James Anderson – An English Cricketing Hero

Muttiah Muralitharan, Kandy. Shane Warne, Victoria. And now – James Anderson, Burnley. An off-spinner, a leg-spinner, and now, a seamer. Three quite different cricketers, with three vastly different upbringings – bound together as part of the 700 Club. 

At 41 years young, on his sixth away tour to India, James Anderson’s reward was his 700^th Test wicket. Nicking off Kuldeep Yadav in vintage style. Dharamsala his stage, the Himalayas his backdrop. An Oscar-deserving career.

James Anderson: The Beginning

After watching a young, enigmatic James Anderson run in to bowl his first over in Test cricket, few could have predicted that 21 years later he would end up as the most decorated seam bowler in Test cricket history.

His first over cost 17, the new ball racing off the bat of Dion Ebrahim to the vacant fine leg boundary. The Zimbabwean capitalising on the nervous Anderson who struggled with his line. 

What followed in the rest of that first Innings, however, was an insight into the talent and the determination he had in abundance. Five wickets, four of them clean bowled owing to late outswing. At this point, the potential was evident, but it needed refining and nurturing.

His first Test captain, Nasser Hussain, told Sky Sports: “Jimmy was the most naturally gifted bowler I had seen. 

“He was outstanding, in a different league.”

His bowling action as a young man, however, was deemed unsustainable. To the coaches that identified that I believe a thank you is in order. On delivery his head fell away to the left, ducking sharply down and ending up perpendicular to the ground. Back contorted. 

This served to put a huge strain on his body and the remodelling began. Initially, progress stalled, form went, and ironically in the summer of 2006, he picked up a stress fracture in his back. 

New and Improved

Fortunately, The Second Coming was better than the first – unlike The Stone Roses’ second album of the same name. Picked alongside Stuart Broad in the summer of 2008, they became the spearheads of England’s new-ball attack.

What James Anderson lost in pace, he more than made up with control and an ability to swing the ball both ways at will. From 2009 to 2013, he more than played his part in three consecutive Ashes victories. Certain detractors doubted his ability outside of home conditions, but he topped the bowling charts in Australia in 2010/2011 and was the leading seamer on England’s victorious tour of India in 2012. 

Since turning 30, James Anderson has taken a remarkable 432 test match wickets. For context, only six other bowlers have managed even 200 wickets after the age of 30. This is a testament not only to his conditioning but also to his love of bowling. Somehow, he continues to find the inner strength to keep going, lacing up his bowling boots year after year. 

James Anderson taking the new ball, has been the hallmark of the English summer for what feels like eternity. We must remind ourselves how lucky we have been to have seen a master at work. Providing unerring consistency, and skill.

Being a constant in an age where change happens at an ever-increasing pace. With cricket’s trajectory heading increasingly towards the shorter format, it is a record that is unlikely to be broken. Perhaps he has one more summer?

Image Credit: Deposit Photos