Advertisement
England’s legendary bowler James Anderson’s glorious career is all set to come to an end with the conclusion of the ongoing first Test match between England and West Indies at the iconic Lord’s Stadium.
James Anderson Is Playing His Farewell Match
James Anderson, who made his Test debut at Lord’s in May 2003, is currently playing his farewell Test match at the same iconic venue. Anderson will bid goodbye to the game as the most prolific pacer in the history of Test cricket. No other pacer has managed to take more wickets than him in the longest format of the game.
Advertisement
Anderson has taken 700 wickets in Tests, he is the only pacer to achieve this feat. Only legendary spinners Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan have picked more wickets than him in the red-ball format.
He reached the 700-wicket milestone in Tests during the Dharamsala Test against India last year. The England bowler only needs nine wickets to get past Shane Warne and he has received strong backing from his captain Stokes to create history.
Another interesting fact about him is that no bowler has played more Tests than him with only the legendary Sachin Tendulkar ahead of him in the list.
James Anderson Got Emotional As He Led England Out Into The Field In His Farewell Match
Meanwhile, coming out on the fielding during his farewell Test match, James Anderson received a rousing reception from the fans at Lord’s. The pacer led out the England team in his farewell Test as the entire stadium gave him a standing ovation.
Anderson’s family and friends were also present at the stadium to witness the iconic game. James Anderson got emotional after receiving such a warm welcome from the fans.
The video of the same has gone viral on the internet, watch it here:
James Anderson leads out England ahead of his final Test match for England 🏴🙌 pic.twitter.com/TOtTQnpb9l
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 10, 2024
James Anderson’s Family Rang The Bell
James Anderson’s family had the honor of ringing the bell at the iconic Lord’s ahead of the start of the first Test, signaling the start of what would be his 188th and final appearance in international Test cricket.
James Anderson's family ringing the bell at Lord's. 👌
– An emotional moment for the 🐐 pic.twitter.com/G9LrlPPmTz
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) July 10, 2024
Talking about the ongoing Tests, the England team won the toss and elected to bowl first. (West Indies were on 45 for a loss of 3 wickets at the time of writing this report.)
On Monday, ahead of the 1st ENG vs WI Test match, James Anderson opened up about how he has made peace with the fact that he is about to leave the game. He said:
“I feel like I’m still bowling as well as I ever have. But, I knew it had to end at some point. Whether it’s now or in a year or two. The fact it’s now is something I’ve got to deal with and accept. The last couple of months I’ve made peace with that. I can completely understand the decision and the way the team and management want to go.”
Anderson was asked whether he was hanging his boots too soon as he recently picked a 7-wicket haul for Lancashire last week. He replied:
“It’s difficult to say. I’ve not really got a choice.” He added: “It was important for me that I try and put in some good performances to finish with. I loved being out on the field with Lancashire last week. I’ve always loved playing for Lancashire. I’ve not played a huge amount for them over the last 20 years because of England duties.”
