England great James Anderson’s extraordinary 21-year Test career will end this week when the paceman bows out in the series opener against the West Indies at Lord’s.
AFP Sport looks back at five standout moments from the 41-year-old Anderson’s previous 187 Tests, which have yielded 700 wickets so far.
First of many
Everyone has to start somewhere and for Anderson his first Test wicket came on debut against Zimbabwe at Lord’s in May 2003, when the then 20-year-old produced a superb ball that clipped the top of Mark Vermeulen’s off stump.
Ashes double-strike
An Ashes triumph against arch-rivals Australia remains the yardstick by which many England cricketers are judged, particularly if that success takes place “Down Under”.
Since the end of World War II, England have won just five Ashes series in Australia.
One of those was in 2010/11, when England, having drawn the first Test in Brisbane, won the second at Adelaide after Anderson had Australia captain Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke both edging to second slip Graeme Swann.
England won that match by an innings and 71 runs and the series 3-1, with Anderson taking 24 wickets across the five Tests.
Triumph over Tendulkar
Getting the better of India’s Sachin Tendulkar, one of the greatest batsmen in cricket history, would be a sweet success at any time and doing so in India all the more so.
Yet Anderson dismissed the “Little Master” on a spinners’ pitch at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens in December 2012 when he found the outside edge of Tendulkar’s bat, although it needed a good low catch by wicketkeeper Matt Prior to complete the dismissal.
It was just one of several contributions Anderson made to England’s 2-1 series win — the last time any visiting team has won a Test series in India.
Clarke cleaned up for a duck
Michael Clarke was one of the outstanding batsmen of his generation but in July 2013 at Trent Bridge Anderson came out on top after a brilliant wobble seam delivery took the top of the off stump as the Australia captain was bowled for a duck.
Anderson took 10 wickets in the match as England sealed a thrilling win that helped them retain the Ashes.
Shami strike lets Cook go out on a high
Of all his England captains, Anderson was perhaps closest to Alastair Cook and the pair’s friendship was evident for all to see when the opening batsman played his last Test, against India at The Oval in 2018.
Cook bowed out in fairytale fashion with a second-innings hundred while Anderson became the most successful fast bowler in Test history, overtaking Australia’s Glenn McGrath, when he rounded off a 4-1 series win by bowling tailender Mohammed Shami for his 564th Test wicket.
