Anderson delight at joining 500 club
MIKE Flynn wants Newport County to put on a show for the fans as they aim to get back to winning ways against Wycombe Wanderers at Rodney Parade this afternoon.
The Exiles fell to their first League Two defeat of the season last weekend at Exeter City but manager Flynn was encouraged by the performance.
“You’ve got to take your chances when you’re on top,” he said.
“If we had done that I think we would have gone on to win the game.
“I think we deserved something from the game. But it’s done and dusted now.
“Wycombe will be a different test to Exeter, I think they’re more direct.
“Gareth [Ainsworth] has been there for a while now. He’s had the chance to build his team and he’s done a very good job.
“We need to be on point otherwise we’ll struggle to get anything.”
And Flynn is also wary of former Swansea City forward Adebayo Akinfenwa.
The striker scored 18 times for Wycombe last season and has already found the net four times in this campaign.
“I’ve played against him myself,” said Flynn. “He’s fantastic, he gets over the ball, brings players into play and is a handful.
“You’ve got to use your common sense, don’t get in to a wrestle with him because there is only going to be one winner.
“We’ll be trying to stop the sources to him, we don’t want him having ammunition.”
But County have an in-form forward of their own in Frank Nouble, who is the league’s joint top goal scorer with five, alongside Luton Town’s James Collin.
“Personally, I couldn’t have wished for a better start,” he said. “They won’t be able to deal with me if I’m on fire.” GRAEME Swann believes James Anderson is indisputably England’s greatest bowler of all time as the Lancastrian became only the sixth person to take 500 Test wickets.
Anderson went to the milestone in style, snaking one through the defences of Kraigg Brathwaite to peg back the West Indies opener’s middle stump on day two of the deciding Test at Lord’s – the venue where he took his first wicket 14 years ago.
The 35-year-old joins spinners Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne and Anil Kumble and seamers Glenn McGrath and Courtney Walsh in the elite 500 club and Swann believes his former team-mate and good friend has earned his success.
Swann told Press Association Sport: “Jimmy Anderson’s our greatest ever bowler, full stop. Whatever record he ends up with he fully deserves it.
“There’s no one who enjoys playing for their country more and who has more passion playing for their country than Jimmy Anderson.”
Swann then jokingly added of the bowler who has a famous reputation for being surly on occasion: “He’s my best mate so I’ve got to say that. He’s still a grumpy so and so, I wish he’d cheer up a bit!”
Former Australia leg-spinner Warne was on commentary for Sky Sports when Anderson made the breakthrough and was quick to hail the Englishman’s achievement.
Warne, who finished with 708 Test scalps, said: “That’s the smile of a relieved man, a happy man.
“Excellent stuff, (he) holds the ball up to the crowd, that’s just wonderful stuff.
“That’s a moment he’ll never ever forget. His family, his friends will all remember that moment right there, here at Lord’s, 500 Test match wickets for Jimmy Anderson – well done.
“In my situation, Cricket Australia gave us the ball and had it mounted (after every 100 wickets) and I’m sure the ECB will do exactly the same here for Jimmy.
“It’s fantastic to have all those balls in a row lined up: 100 wickets, 200 wickets, etc.”