ANDERSON HAS A TON OF AMBITION RHINOS GET BACK WITH DERBY JOY
IAN BOTHAM 148
BOB WILLIS 128 WILFRED RHODES 109 SYDNEY BARNES 106 DEREK UNDERWOOD 105 ALEC BEDSER 104 ROBERT PEEL 101
JAMES ANDERSON 100 MUTTIAH MURALITHARAN 800 SHANE WARNE 708
ANIL KUMBLE 619
GLENN MCGRATH 563 COURTNEY WALSH 519 JAMES ANDERSON 519
JAMES ANDERSON reached another two stunning landmarks on Boxing Day, but admitted his only ambition is to get England a win Down Under.
That might be beyond him and his team-mates in Melbourne owing more to a turgid playing surface than their ability.
But by putting in another impressive shift in the heat, Anderson (left) was rewarded with the wicket of David Warner, caught behind, which made him the eighth Englishman to take 100 Ashes wickets and drew him level with Courtney Walsh as the fifth most successful Test bowler of all time with 519 scalps.
“I’m just targeting getting a win on this trip,” said Anderson. “We’ve all worked hard and want to get something out of it. I couldn’t have done any more to try and take wickets. I couldn’t have thought about it any more.”
Of a surface where pace, seam movement, moisture and swing were absent, he added: “It wasn’t exciting to watch, it wasn’t exciting to play in. But that’s the pitch we’ve got, and we have to put up with it.”
Wakefield
10 LEEDS fielded six of their 2017 Grand Final squad in the champions’ first outing since their Old Trafford success over Castleford on October 7.
But it was the son of a former Premier League striker and a Polish teenager who caught the eye as the Rhinos won this Boxing Day challenge for a first time in three years.
Jack Ormondroyd, son of ex-bradford, Aston Villa, Derby and Leicester forward Ian Ormondroyd and Gdansk-born prop Mikolaj Oledzki, 19, crossed for second-half tries.
Joe Arundel hit back for Trinity with but Leeds led all game after going ahead through Brad Singleton’s try.
“Mik showed why he is here,” said coach Brian Mcdermott, who handed a debut to former England star Richie Myler. “It is up to him now if he wants to be pushing regularly for Super League. Jack is getting close and was a stand-out as well.”
Wakefield gave debuts to Aussie forward Pauli Pauli, and ex-wigan utility Ryan Hampshire but were rocked by a suspected medial knee injury to star hooker Tyler Randall.
“I am gutted for him,” said coach Chris Chester. “But with a bit of luck we might have even grabbed a draw.”
Castleford Leeds
17
16 32 SCOTT WHEELDON scored two of six tries as Championship Rovers won the traditional Boxing Day pre-season clash.
Top-flight Cas fielded only four of their Grand Final squad as former Tiger Wheeldon came back to haunt them.
Jamie Ellis gave Cas the opening try only for Luke Briscoe to touch down before Wheeldon (above) gave Rovers the lead with his first.
Tuoyo Egodo and a second by Ellis saw Tigers lead at the break.
But Gareth Gale, Connor Farrell, a second from Wheeldon, and Josh Hardcastle went over to clinch Rovers’ victory.
Featherstone