HE’S KING JAMES T

Anderson’s 600th scalp is his finest achievement yet ...

Exactly one year ago, England’s Mr Incredible pulled off an ashes miracle in front of a tumultuous full house at Headingley.

Now, behind closed Southampton doors, their Mr Swingcredible scaled heights no other fast bowler has ever reached.

What a contrast in atmosphere there was between Ben Stokes’ single- handed demolition of australia and the magical moment yesterday when Jimmy anderson took his 600th test wicket.

But the lack of spectators and the anti- climax of a rain- sodden final test draw should take nothing away from the greatest achievement in the illustrious career of the best bowler ever to play for England. How anderson has had to wait for his big moment, four dropped catches off his bowling on days three and four then a five-hour clearing up operation before he finally took his biggest step yet into test history.

So bad has the weather at the ageas Bowl been and so frustrating the delay that, word was, England’s players — even anderson — would have been perfectly happy to call the whole thing off and shake hands on a 1-0 series victory. But how relieved they must now be that play was finally possible at 4.15pm, enough time for their record- breaker to claim his landmark victim without having to worry when his next test appearance might be.

the big moment came 21 minutes later off anderson’s 14th delivery of the day when, gliding in smoothly as he has done so many thousands of times for England, the master craftsman found extra bounce to take the edge of azhar ali’s bat.

the ball flew just above the head of first slip where Joe Root, rather than some of his more fallible team- mates, was thankfully waiting to grasp it.

cue an expression of relief as much as pleasure for anderson, who looked to the skies before running to embrace his captain, accepting the congratulations of the unlikely figure of substitute fielder James Bracey at short-leg along the way.

When Stokes hit the winning boundary at Headingley the whole crowd rose as one and roared their approval. anderson had to make do just with applause from the England dressing room, groundstaff, EcB and Hampshire officials, and even the press box, breaking media protocol to try to fill the rather large gap left by the absence of spectators.

at least the 12 writers allowed in to this test can always say ‘we were there’. anderson shook hands with his colleagues — we can forgive the lack of fist bumping in the circumstances — and raised the ball towards his dressing room and then the broadcasting centre which included three of the eight England captains he has played under — Nasser Hussain, Michael Vaughan and Sir andrew Strauss.

It is such a shame so few were here but this really is a quite stunning achievement by that shy lad from Burnley who has gone on to usurp every seam bowler to play the game.

and it took him 33,717 deliveries to get there, just six balls more than the fastest man to reach 600 test wickets in Sri lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan.

anderson really should be able to catch the next man in the list of only three spinners above him in anil Kumble, who stands on 619, but perhaps even the lancastrian cannot reach Shane Warne’s total of 708 and Murali’s world-record 800 wickets. can he?

anderson does look as good as ever, those rumours of his

impending retirement after his self- confessed ‘bad game’ in the first Test against Pakistan looking absurd in the face of his highly skilful performance in this match.

Yet, we should remember he had to overcome quite serious injury to be fit enough to play five out of the six Tests in this bio- secure summer and England really should bring back those plans for a future without him which have been shelved this season.

Even the 38-year-old will not be around for ever and perhaps as Anderson will not be stranded on 599 wickets now this unique summer is over, it will be easier for England to rest him for their proposed winter tours to Sri Lanka and India.

Maybe he should be considered principally a home specialist now for however long he has left. For now we should celebrate Anderson and another series victory for England, however low- key yesterday’s play became once the crucial wicket had been taken.

It was not long after that when the players started going through the motions on this flat pitch and England’s acceptance they did not have enough time to force a second victory was emphasised by the sight of an all-spin attack until the new ball.

There was time for Root to take a wicket thanks to a good low catch by sub Bracey and then what was surely one of the worst overs in Test history from Dom Sibley before the players shook hands on a draw.

So series victories over West Indies and now Pakistan, but England were unable to secure the win here that would have seen them climb to No 2 in the rankings and claim 30 points towards their attempt to reach the final of the World Test Championship.

No matter. The real heroes of this blighted summer have been West Indies and Pakistan players who agreed to spend weeks on end living on-site to ensure the show could go on in a global pandemic.

And the ECB team, led by Steve Elworthy, who created the most well- organised, secure and safe bio-secure bubble that will now be used as a template around the cricketing world until life can finally go back to normal.

But yesterday’s hero was undoubtedly James Anderson, as his parents insist on calling him, who reached a landmark that no seamer will probably ever come close to surpassing. With power to add a few more wickets before he is finally done.