Birthday special: James Anderson – 5 most memorable spells by the English legend
There is only one pacer in world cricket who has taken over 600 wickets in Test. We are talking about James Anderson, who is celebrating his 39th birthday today. He has been a fantastic pacer in his career so far and still looks fit enough to play for another two to three years. In this article, we will be listing out his 5 best spells in Tests.
6/47 against Australia, 2015
This was during the third Test of Australia tour of England in 2015. The visiting team could score only 136 runs in the first innings as Anderson bowled brilliantly. The pacer took 6 wickets for 47 runs in his 14.4 overs. England scored 281 runs in response and took a considerable lead. In the second innings, Australia scored 265 runs with David Warner being the top scorer. England won the match by 8 wickets as they easily chased down the target of 121 runs.
6/40 against Sri Lanka, 2021
This was the second game of England’s tour of Sri Lanka in 2021. The hosts posted a score of 381 runs in the first innings, and England scored 344 runs in response. In the second innings, Anderson displayed his magic and took 6 wickets for 40 runs. The Sri Lankan team could score only 126 runs in the second innings. England won this game by 6 wickets chasing the total in 43.3 overs.
6/17 vs Pakistan, 2010
This was the first Test of Pakistan tour of England in 2010. The hosts scored 354 runs in the first innings with the help of a century from Eoin Morgan. In response, Pakistan could manage only 182 runs in the first innings. England posted 262/9 in the second innings and set a target of 435 runs for the visitors. Chasing the target in the fourth innings, Pakistan were dismantled by Anderson who took 6 wickets for only 17 runs. Pakistan got all-out for only 80 runs and lost by 354 runs.
7/42 vs West Indies, 2017
This was during the third Test of the West Indies tour of England. The visiting side was bundled out for only 123 runs in the first innings with Ben Stokes picking up 6 wickets. In response to this total, England scored 194 runs with Stokes top scoring with 60 runs. In the second innings, West Indies got bowled out for 177 runs thanks to the excellent spell from James Anderson. The English pacer took 7 wickets for 42 runs in 20.1 overs. England won this match by 9 wickets chasing the required target of 107 runs in 28 overs.
7/43 vs New Zealand, 2008
Anderson gave a brilliant performance in the third Test of the New Zealand tour of England in 2008. England posted 364 runs batting first in this game with Kevin Pietersen hitting a century. In response, the Kiwi team got all-out for 123 runs with James Anderson taking 7 wickets for 43 runs in 21.3 overs. Following on, New Zealand were dismissed for 232 runs as Ryan Sidebottom took 6 wickets for 67 runs. England registered a big victory by an innings and 9 runs in this match.
