County Championship Division 2: Anderson Returns

It was ten months ago when the cricketing world last saw Jimmy Anderson in a playing capacity but those in attendance at Old Trafford, or watching the match stream, over the next four days will see one of the best ever swing bowlers back in action as Lancashire host Derbyshire!

Anderson returned figures of 1/26 and 3/32 at Lord's in the opening Test against West Indies in his last appearance to bow out with 704 Test wickets from an incredible international career which began at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in December 2002.

He went unsold in the 2025 Indian Premier League auction and suffered the same fate in the 2025 Men's Hundred draft but will now showcase his skills with the red ball again.

So now, 23 years on from his first England appearance, he will turn out for his county, Lancashire, who have got off to a terrible start to the season and begin this game bottom of the County Championship Division 2, still without a victory after five games.

Sir Jimmy The Great

Anderson's return comes just over a month after it was announced that he would become a 'sir' after being awarded a knighthood in Rishi Sunak's resignation honours list.

He announced his Test retirement at the age of 41 after an incredible career at the highest level of the sport from 2003 - 2024. No pace bowler in the history of the game has taken more Test wickets with two of the best ever spinners the only players with more dismissals across their Test careers.

Lancashire's Woes

Lancashire fans could be forgiven for waking up this morning with more optimism than over previous days of this year's County Championship Division 2 as it has been such a miserable campaign for the red rose.

Anderson will certainly add experience, quality and probably wickets to the bowling line-up but will even the leading pace-bowling Test wicket taker of all time be enough for a struggling county?

After four successive draws to start the campaign against Middlesex, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and Gloucestershire, Lancashire ended the run with a 70-run away defeat against Northamptonshire last week.

That result was enough for captain Keaton Jennings to step down from the captaincy and former Australian Test opener Marcus Harris, who has been in excellent form with scores of 138, 52, 43, 50, 77, 34*, 167, 24, 121 & 43, will lead the county as interim skipper in this format.

Last appearances

Many England fans were heartbroken, gutted and frankly disappointed to see Anderson retire from Test cricket with some pointing the finger at coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes for forcing him into the decision when he was still producing the goods.

And the data certainly backs up that opinion as Anderson's figures were impressive in Test cricket at home, away in India and in his last County Championship appearance.

There will be plenty of cheers at Old Trafford when Sir Jimmy Anderson comes on at the Sir James Anderson End and his return could be just what Lancashire need to get their first win of the season!

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