James Anderson joined an elite list of bowlers who have picked 1000 wickets in First Class cricket as he put on an exhibition of bowling for Lancashire against Kent.
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In cricket, the achievements of batsmen have been celebrated on every occasion. The bowlers, unless it is a massive occasion, get into the spotlight. Modern-day cricket is a celebration for batsmen. They have big bats, flat decks and short boundaries. When bowlers with genuine skill arrive, they must be celebrated. In this era, the likes of Dale Steyn, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Neil Wagner and Kyle Jamieson need to be celebrated. But, there is one bowler who towers over everyone with his magnificent exhibition that has redefined pace bowling.
For 18 years, James Anderson has bedazzled the cricket world with his mastery over swing and seam bowling. In the cloud and green pitches of England, he is simply unplayable. In other conditions, he has mixed results. But, no one can ever question his brilliance. His 617 wickets put him on a different pedestal of pace bowlers. In the India series, he will go past Anil Kumble’s mark of 619 wickets. Anderson is the only pacer in the 600-club and it is a feat that might never be matched.
However, there is one more feat in the modern era that many bowlers might take generations to match. In the recent County championship between Lancashire and Kent, Anderson picked up 7/19 to bowl Kent out for 74 in Old Trafford. During the course of his bowling, Anderson entered an elite club of 1000 wickets in First-Class cricket.
The exhibition of bowling that he displayed in Old Trafford was sublime. Every ball was in that probing area outside off. The blueprint of swing was also on show. Outswingers at pace in excess of 80 mph. There was also inswing, an added dimension that was missing for some time in his pace arsenal. The consistent probing and asking questions through late swing confounded all batsmen.
James Anderson now has a 1000 wickets in first-class cricket!
— ICC (@ICC) July 5, 2021
What an achievement ?pic.twitter.com/m7dmPfJEI9
The crescendo came when he took his fifth wicket. Anderson was bowling from the James Anderson end. He got a late outswing to South Africa player Heino Kuhn and the batsman could only edge it. The wicket gave Anderson his 1000th in First-Class cricket. Imagine, getting a milestone bowling from your own end. That is providence.
In the age of fast bowling, no one is able to last close to a decade. The demand of playing all three formats takes a toll on everyone’s body. But, Anderson is simply on a different pedestal.
He has taken 617 wickets through total swing and expert utilization of the conditions. It is very easy to criticize players who perform only in certain conditions. But, to perform even there needs tremendous skill. Anderson has that. In many ways, Anderson does not have to prove anything to anyone.
Anderson has over 100 wickets at Lord’s, joining a select list of bowlers who have taken 100 at a single venue. But, one cannot question the impact of his match-winning prowess. When England won in 2011 in Australia and in 2012 in India, it was Anderson who led from the front with over 15 wickets in both series. His exhibition of swing, be it traditional or reverse, in both the series was remarkable.
The major plus point for Anderson is that he has always had an impact in targeting the greatest in the opposition. He is the only bowler to have dismissed Sachin Tendulkar nine times in Tests. Apart from that, he has dismissed Azhar Ali, Kane Williamson, Jacques Kallis, Michael Clarke, Kumar Sangakkara, MS Dhoni, Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli five times or more
The fact that he has gotten all the great names in cricket means he fears no batter. Anderson has gotten them in all conditions and it only indicates his versatility. It is this factor that puts him on a greater plane when one compares it to other bowlers.
England are facing a big series in 2021 with five Tests against India and the Ashes. Anderson has a potential 10 Tests to reach 650 wickets. If he continues in this manner, then his greatness will only grow with time. There is no doubting Anderson’s legendary status as a fast bowler. The only question is, how much can he push the barriers of brilliance in this year?
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