Rothesay County Championship Division Two, Emirates Old Trafford (day two)
Lancashire 458: Wells 141, Balderson 73, Bell 57; Aitchison 3-87
Derbyshire 112-4: Came 31; Anderson 2-24
Derbyshire (1 pt) trail Lancashire (3 pts) by 346 runs
James Anderson eased back into county cricket by taking two wickets for Lancashire in his first appearance since international retirement.
Some 309 days after England’s greatest fast bowler bade an emotional farewell to the Test arena at Lord’s, Anderson needed only 18 deliveries of his Lancashire return to inflict damage on Derbyshire.
Anderson, two months shy of his 43rd birthday, bowled left-hander Caleb Jewell with a trademark trimmer from round the wicket, then had David Lloyd glove a short ball to wicketkeeper Matty Hurst.
In his five overs, Anderson ended with 2-24 to help leave Derbyshire 112-4, 346 adrift of Lancashire’s 458 after two days at Emirates Old Trafford.
His first appearance since signing a one-year contract extension with the Red Rose had been delayed by a calf injury.
In that time, Lancashire had endured a torrid return to the second tier of the County Championship, going winless in their first five matches, sinking to the bottom of the table, issuing an apology to supporters and replacing captain Keaton Jennings with Marcus Harris.
Since Anderson ended his Test career with 704 wickets, an England record and more than any other pace bowler, he has worked as a bowling consultant with the national team and unsuccessfully attempted to be picked up in the Indian Premier League and The Hundred. In April, he was knighted in former prime minister Rishi Sunak’s resignation honours list.
Whether or not Lancashire were buoyed by his return, their strong position in this match is down to the graft of their batters, who made Derbyshire toil after the visitors chose to field.
Indeed, after Luke Wells made a century on day one, then George Balderson and George Bell added half-centuries on day two, Anderson did not take part in the match until he walked out to bat at number 11 at 15:16 BST on Saturday.
The warm applause he received on entering the field was matched by the ovation for the forward defence to the first ball he faced from left-arm spinner Jack Morley, then outstripped by the noise that greeted a sweep for four.
Left four not out when Lancashire were dismissed, there was a genuine feeling of anticipation in the wait for Anderson to bowl. Spectators gathered to watch him loosen up during the tea break.
Bowling from the end named after him, Anderson needed a little time to find his radar, understandable given this was his first competitive spell in 10 months.
He was frustrated when Australian Jewell drove through the covers for four but responded with a classic Anderson dismissal: angled in from round the wicket, straightening to beat the bat and clatter into off stump.
With the surface offering lift, Anderson bent his back to discomfit Lloyd. One short ball induced a top edge, another ricocheted off the back of the bat. When Anderson went short once more, the catch looped to keeper Hurst, albeit with a disgruntled Lloyd claiming the ball came off his body.
Perhaps wary of his workload after such a long lay-off, Harris withdrew Anderson after the ninth over and he was not employed for any of the remaining 27 in the day.
