There is life in the old dog yet. That much was clear as Jimmy Anderson tuned up for his Test swansong next week by picking up six wickets in an epic 10-over spell, his first of the season for Lancashire.
Anderson, who turns 42 at the end of this month, announced in April that the series opener against West Indies, which begins next Wednesday, would be his 188th and final Test appearance, bringing the curtain down on a peerless international career. He is the only fast bowler with 700 Test wickets.
He picked up stunning figures of six for 19 across an epic ten-over opening spell that saw him bowl with decent pace and movement. Certainly there were no signs that he had not bowled since March, when he picked up his 700th Test wicket in a drubbing in Dharamasala.
Anderson started with three tight overs before picking up the wicket of Haseeb Hameed, his former Lancashire and England colleague. The Nottinghamshire captain defended carefully under his eyes, only for the ball to spin back onto his stumps.
Next was Will Young, the New Zealand batsman, who was caught behind defending a ball probing perfectly in the channel outside off stump. The catcher was Matthew Hurst, who was not even born when Anderson made his Test debut 21 years ago against Zimbabwe.
In his sixth over Anderson had Joe Clarke caught at second slip driving, then in his seventh Jack Haynes turned to short leg. An over later, a shorter delivery saw Lyndon James get in a tangle and fend to gully. That wicket, his fifth, persuaded Anderson to stay on for a ninth over, during which he picked up Liam Patterson-White, who edged to fourth slip. He would bowl a 10th over, his first without a wicket since his second, leaving him with figures of six for 19.
That left Nottinghamshire 42 for six, and opened up the possibility of an innings victory for Lancashire that appeared to have slipped away as the rain fell on the second day.
Anderson has kept his counsel since receiving a gentle tap on the shoulder from the England management, and opted to play just one match for Lancashire before his Test farewell, against Nottinghamshire at Southport.
Even then, he was made to wait two days for any involvement in the game, with Lancashire batting throughout the first day, then the second being washed out. But after Lancashire declared on 353 for nine – securing three batting points and leaving captain Keaton Jennings on 187 not out – he rewarded the patience of another strong crowd.
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