The Daily Telegraph - Sport

Grumpy ‘Jimmy’ shows soft side in moment of magic

Anderson says emotion got to him after No500 Bowler in danger after run-ins with umpire

- By Nick Hoult at Lord’s

James Anderson’s overriding feeling after taking his 500th Test wicket was one of surprise, mainly because of the emotion he felt at the moment of reaching his milestone.

Anderson always says he is “Jimmy” (grumpy) on the field and “James” (normal, affable) off it. But as he held aloft the match ball to a standing ovation from a full house at Lord’s, Anderson forgot for a moment he was an angry fast bowler and, instead, felt the emotion welling up inside him.

There was a lot of relief, too, with him having raced to 499 on the first morning of the match by taking the first two wickets of the game, only to see Ben Stokes clean up the rest of the West Indies order.

“Ideally, I would have got it out of the way on the first day but Ben did not want me to, so I had to wait until today. I felt a bit emotional on the field, I knew my family were there in the crowd; kids, Mum and Dad, my wife. Knowing they were there made it very special, as did sharing it with guys I have played over 100 Tests with.

“It was an amazing feeling to see how pleased they were for me. It made me emotional for a couple of overs but then I got my focus back. Normally, I have different emotions. Normally, they are anger and frustratio­n. But today it was a bit more happiness. It took me a bit by surprise.”

Anderson had to wait until only the 12th ball of the innings for his big moment, bowling Kraigg Brathwaite middle stump with a fulllength inswinger.

“It is a bit surreal still and I can’t quite believe I have got this many wickets or played as much cricket as I have, but I’m more relieved to get it out of the way more than anything else,” said Anderson. “Lord’s is such a special place for me and to get my first Test wicket here and 500th here will live with me for a long time. I have family and friends in the crowd which makes it more special.”

It was at Lord’s in 2005 that Glenn Mcgrath took his 500th Test wicket and he marked it by having a pair of boots with gold stitching brought out to the middle for him to wear. There is nothing showy about Anderson and he said before the game he did not want any fuss.

More important to Anderson than ticking off 500 is the number of wickets he has taken this summer. He now has 34 in seven Tests and only once before, in 2014, has he taken more wickets in an English summer.

It has left him believing he can eke out a couple more years for England despite turning 35 recently, which, if his body allows, should see him go past Courtney Walsh (519) and Mcgrath (563) with the most wickets by a fast bowler. It is all a long way from the early years of his career when he was out of the team or suffering from a back stress fracture caused by failed attempts to remodel his action.

“That has made me stronger going through those periods as a bowler and person. I just love playing cricket. That is my big passion and it has been since I was a kid,” said Anderson. “I’m just trying to stay fit, stay on the field. I am loving playing cricket and I am bowling well. I feel fit, and I want to play as long as I can. If I can keep going for a couple of years I might get somewhere near [Mcgrath].”

Anderson’s day was not all golden. Two warnings for running on the playing surface from umpire Marais Erasmus led to long conversati­ons between the pair that did not look amicable and Anderson could face punishment from the match referee. More worrying in the short term for England is that he is one more warning away from not being able to bowl again in the innings.

“We get on well,” said Anderson. “I am in trouble for running on the pitch. I find it difficult here with the slope pushing me down. I was doing my best to stay off, but I kept running down.”

 ??  ?? Passion play: James Anderson says he is still in love with the game of cricket
Passion play: James Anderson says he is still in love with the game of cricket

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