Anderson’s injury worry for Ashes

JIMMY Anderson may not play for Lancashire again this season after suffering a calf injury.

The England ace batted for five balls but didn’t take to the field to bowl for the Red Rose’s final day of their Specsavers County Championship Division Two match with Durham at Sedbergh School yesterday.

Anderson was forced to leave the field after pulling up during his run up on the third morning of the match.

The 36-year-old, who claimed his 950th first-class wicket on Monday, stretched and attempted to run in three times to shake off the problem, but was forced to leave the action.

It is a worry for England as much as Lancashire with the Ashes starting next month. The ECB said in a statement: “Jimmy Anderson has sustained tightness to his right calf. He will take no further part in the game and will continue to be assessed.”

Mark Chilton, assistant head coach at Lancashire, added: “Jimmy has been sitting with an ice pack on but he seems fine and reasonably jovial.

“With any bowler if they feel something abnormal we would much rather they came off and get assessed rather than take it a step too far.”

He will almost certainly be ruled out of next week’s Championship match against Northamptonshire and has to be a major doubt for the visit of Sussex to Emirates Old Trafford later this month. They are the final two County Championship matches before Lancashire begin their T20 Blast campaign, and before the Ashes begin on August 1. Anderson has played six Championship games this season, taking 30 wickets.