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He will call curtains on a legendary career at the ground where it all began for him 21 years ago

Vithushan Ehantharajah11-May-202411:21

James Anderson ‘England’s greatest ever bowler’

James Anderson has announced he will retire from international cricket after England’s first Test of the summer at Lord’s, against West Indies, bringing the curtain down on a legendary career where it all began 21 years ago.Anderson, who turns 42 in July, made his Test debut at Lord’s in 2003 against Zimbabwe. He has gone on to take 700 wickets – the most by any pace bowler in Test history. His eventual tally of 188 caps will be the second most in Test history, with just Sachin Tendulkar ahead of him on 200.In a personal statement released on Instagram, Anderson confirmed he would represent England one last time, although speaking later to the BBC’s Tailenders podcast, he did not rule out the possibility of extending his playing career with Lancashire.”Hi everyone. Just a note to say that the first Test of the summer at Lord’s will be my last Test,” Anderson wrote on Instagram.”It’s been an incredible 20 years representing my country, playing the game I’ve loved since I was a kid. I’m going to miss walking out for England so much. But I know the time is right to step aside and let others realise their dreams just like I got to, because there is no greater feeling.””I couldn’t have done it without the love and support of Daniella, Lola, Ruby and my parents. A huge thank you to them. Also, thank you to the players and coaches who have made this the best job in the world.”I’m excited for the new challenges that lie ahead, as well as filling my days with even more golf.”Thank you to everyone who has supported me over the years, it’s always meant a lot, even if my face often doesn’t show it.”See you at the Test,”Go well”Jimmy x”Anderson had previously harboured ambitions to play England’s six Tests this summer against West Indies and Sri Lanka and even refused to rule out being around for the 2025-26 Ashes, by which point he would be 43. However, following a face-to-face meeting on the golf course with Test head coach Brendon McCullum in April, and further conversations involving managing director Rob Key, Anderson was informed the team needed to look beyond him this summer with a view to building to that tour of Australia.The news of that meeting, initially reported in on Friday, ultimately brought confirmation from Anderson 24 hours later. He was due to feature as part of the BBC’s live coverage of England Women’s first match of the summer against Pakistan at Edgbaston on Saturday but has subsequently pulled out.James Anderson is set to finish his career with 188 Tests to his name•Getty Images

Speaking to Tailenders, Anderson confirmed that his discussions with McCullum had come up as part of his annual appraisal, at the six-month mark of his one-year contract.”I feel like I have talked about it for ten years with every coach I have had, asking ‘how long you going to play for’,” Anderson said. “Looking ahead, could a 43-year-old me make the Ashes in 18 months time? I sort of came to the decision ‘probably not’. From my point of view it feels like a stretch at this point in my career, and from their point of view there are 15 or so Tests before the Ashes so it gives them time to get other guys Tests and experience before that Ashes series.”I feel good about it, I have had an amazing career. Stuff about retirement has been hanging around for years now, ever since I turned 30 and grown even more since I turned 40. I just feel really lucky that I have managed to get to this stage, still playing at this very high level.”Anderson reached the 700 Test-wicket mark earlier this year in the fifth and final Test of England’s tour of India. Though he has long been the lynchpin of the English attack, he bowled just 110 overs in seven innings in that series after a tough Ashes campaign last summer in which he took just five wickets at 85.40 in four Tests. Anderson is currently on a one-year central contract which expires at the end of the summer.Regarding his county career, however, Anderson admitted he was “not 100% set” on hanging up his boots, and could yet feature in the latter half of Lancashire’s Championship campaign.”There are games at the end of the season that I’m not ruling out at this moment,” he said. “That’s a conversation I’ve got to have with Lancashire and see what they want to do.”It is part of the thought process. I’m not 100% set on what I’m going to do next. That will be a conversation further down the line with Lancashire and see what they want to do, see if I’ve actually got the desire and willingness to do that as well. Again, that will be later in the year.”In a statement released by the ECB alongside Anderson’s, chair Richard Thompson said:”I don’t think we’ll ever see a bowler to match Jimmy again. It has been an honour as an England fan to watch him, and to marvel at his skill with the ball.”To still be bowling at the top of his game at 41 is remarkable, and he is a true inspiration and role model for peers and younger generations alike.”His final Test promises to be an emotional one, and having been there for his first Test in 2003, it will be an honour to watch his final one at Lord’s in July.”English cricket owes Jimmy Anderson a send-off like no other.”

Devine and Sciver both finished as their side’s leading run-scorer in the Women’s T20 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Mar-2020Three more captains have been appointed ahead of the inaugural season of the Hundred, with Nat Sciver and Lewis Gregory leading Trent Rockets and Sophie Devine skippering Birmingham Phoenix.Sciver and Devine both starred in the Women’s T20 World Cup, finishing the tournament as England and New Zealand’s leading run-scorers respectively. Both have captaincy experience: Devine led New Zealand at the tournament, and Sciver has skippered Surrey Stars throughout the Kia Super League since its inception.ALSO READ: The Hundred – full squad listsSaliann Briggs, Trent Rockets’ women’s coach, said: “I’ve known Nat for a long time since her early years in the sport, so I can’t wait to work with her again now she’s one of the world’s best players.”She has impressed as a captain in domestic competitions before and I have full confidence she’ll get the best out of the squad in The Hundred. Her international experience in one of the world’s best short-format teams will undoubtedly help our chances of success this year.”Devine, who has previously appeared for Warwickshire women, said that she had already been considering tactics for the new format which had proved to be “a hot topic of conversation” on the circuit.”I know that it’s only 20 fewer balls than a T20,” she said, “but the decision making between whether a bowler sends down five balls or takes on the option to bowl ten straight, will be really interesting. It’s going to be an exciting new challenge and I can’t wait to get started. A shorter, sharper format should really suit my style of play.”Gregory, meanwhile, has been appointed ahead of a strong field which included Rashid Khan, Steven Mullaney and Luke Wright, all of whom have recent captaincy experience. He has been Somerset’s T20 Blast captain since 2018, and led England Lions on their tour of Australia this winter.Gregory was the third non-overseas player signed in October’s draft, after Liam Livingstone and Dane Vilas, and will earn £110,000 for his participation in the tournament, including a £10,000 captaincy bonus. He has earned a reputation as one of the best English finishers with the bat in recent years in addition to his useful medium-fast bowling, and has impressed for Rangpur Rangers and Peshawar Zalmi this winter.”Lewis has all the attributes required to skipper our side this year and I’m confident he’ll get the best out of our talented squad,” said Stephen Fleming, Trent Rockets’ men’s coach. “He’s got a good temperament on the field and works well with his players to achieve results. He’s also one of the best white-ball allrounders in the country, who will add a huge amount to the team.”Trent Rockets, Birmingham Phoenix, London Spirit and Northern Superchargers have all named their captains for both teams, while Steve Smith will lead Welsh Fire’s men.

Tom Moores 81 threatens chance of upset before five Notts wickets fall in 90 minutes

ECB Reporters Network21-Jul-2023Hampshire 166 (Gubbins 49, James 3-38, Hutton 3-40, Paterson 3-56) and 344 for 5 dec (Holland 138*, Dawson 82, Fuller 52*) beat Nottinghamshire 100 (Holland 4-19) and 294 (Moores 81, Clarke 67, Fuller 4-59) by 116 runsTom Moores flailed tired bowlers in the evening with 81, his first fifty of the season, to threaten just the chance of a remarkable upset but he became the first of five final men to fall in 90 minutes as Hampshire completed their fifth win this campaign by 116 runs.Challenged to make 411 in a theoretical maximum of 202 overs by their late declaration on Thursday, Nottinghamshire started the third day of the Trent Bridge LV= Insurance County Championship match with the neat equation before them of exactly 400 runs required and all ten men standing.In fact the more key early stat was supplied by the seamers: Mohammad Abbas struck with his third ball of the day, Kyle Abbott with his second and, after rain stole 13 overs, James Fuller with his fifth and eleventh balls of the match. Hampshire’s formidable pace pack sensed victory at 76 for 4.A stand of 99 slightly shifted the balance until Joe Clarke, twice missed, finally fell for 67 to Fuller, who finished with 4 for 59, and Moores, after adding 64 with Lyndon James, had his off stump clipped still 30 overs from the scheduled close.The home demise began in the morning’s second over when Ben Slater, in what has been a season of struggle, was unable to add to his overnight eight before a beauty from Abbas straightened to hit off stump. When Abbott arrived as first change and found the immediate lift to take the shoulder of Will Young’s bat and see the Kiwi lob to the ‘keeper for the same score, Nottinghamshire were 40 for 2.Rain arrived three balls later and, soon after the afternoon resumption, Clarke was reprieved on one at second slip off the same bowler before Fuller, the fifth seamer employed, ended Haseeb Hameed’s fluent 30 by having the acting captain held high at third slip from a defensive edge. He then disposed of South African Matt Montgomery for a ninth-ball duck.Born in Cape Town but raised in New Zealand, Fuller is one of four bowlers in Hampshire’s pace quintet who all learned their cricket abroad but it was the lone home-grown seamer, Keith Barker, who should have ended a fifth-wicket revival then worth 50.A top-edged cut from Clarke flashed between ‘keeper and slip, the latter only belatedly reacting, as a fortuitous boundary brought up Clarke’s fifty. Next over, another shower forced an early tea but no loss of time.It meant the last session stretched ahead for potentially 53.2 overs and ten of them had gone by the time Fuller, in a second spell, cut one back to remove Clarke’s middle stump for 67. Moores then accelerated until spin made its first Hampshire appearance of the match – and Liam Dawson, aghast, saw him dropped at the wicket from his twelfth ball.It was finally yet another seamer, the Australian-raised Ian Holland, who clipped his off stump, Moores’s 81 coming from 109 balls, before Abbas returned to bowl James, ending 20 overs at the crease for 21. When Brett Hutton edged behind for nine Fuller had secured his fourth success.Refusing runs to farm the strike, Calvin Harrison held out until the new ball was available – and immediately taken in bright sunshine at 6.25 with 13 overs left. But Toby Pettman, left two balls to face from the first of them, fended to short leg off the second. Harrison, last to go, was leg-before to Abbas for 39, 27 balls later.

“We don’t have a lot of technically-sound cricketers,” laments Bangladesh captain after thumping loss to West Indies

Mohammad Isam20-Jun-2022Mominul Haque is struggling. He has made nine consecutive single-digit scores in Test cricket, a run of form that has already prompted him to resign as Bangladesh captain, and could very well see him stepping even further back. Following the defeat to West Indies in the first Test in Antigua, Shakib Al Hasan said that if his predecessor needs some time away from cricket to get himself right again, he is more than welcome to do so.”It is tough for me to say, but I speak to him [Mominul] regularly and we will talk again,” Shakib said. “If he thinks he needs a break, it can happen. It is not ideal to take a decision just after a match. We have a break for two days. On our next day of training in St Lucia, we will think about what’s best for the team.”Mominul made 0 and 4 in this game, first edging Jayden Seales to second slip and then falling lbw to Kyle Mayers’ medium pace. What is most concerning is how the left-hander was beaten for pace against both bowlers.Related

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Bangladesh have lost their first four wickets for less than 100 runs in all but two of these nine innings. Coupled with Najmul Hossain Shanto’s poor form and Mahmudul Hasan Joy blowing hot and cold, the visitors were blown away by West Indies in Antigua. So should they think about bringing in some new players for the next Test starting Friday?”You cannot guarantee that a lot of changes will be good for the team,” Shakib said. “But if you look at the numbers, we have lost four wickets for less than 100 runs in 12 out of the 16 innings. That is pretty worrying. Only a concerted team effort can get us out of here. I know we can get out of this. We have been here before, so I believe we can come out.”Bangladesh need more runs, especially in the first innings. They began the Antigua Test by losing six wickets in the first session. Bowled out for 103, there was really no way back for them.”We don’t have a lot of technically-sound cricketers,” Shakib, who made fifties in both innings, said. “Everyone has technical problems. But they have to find out ways to score runs, stay at the crease. It has to come from an individual level. But it (coaching) is not my area. It is for the coach to discuss. It will be difficult for me to coach and captain at the same time. It will help me if everyone sticks to their job.”I didn’t have a lot of expectations from this match, but I think we had the ability to do better. We missed that opportunity. We were behind from the first session, which meant we were always recovering in the game.”We couldn’t get our noses in front. That’s the regret. I am happy with the bowlers. We have to improve in our batting and catching. We have to score 100-150 more runs than what we did in the first Test. Most of the batters didn’t make runs in either innings. With our bowling attack, we could have fought harder with some more runs.”

Given Ponting’s opinion on this type of dismissal, a potentially delicate dressing room situation was subsequently avoided

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Oct-2020After letting Aaron Finch, who had strayed out of his crease at the non-striker’s end during Royal Challengers Bangalore’s chase against the Delhi Capitals last night, off with a warning, R Ashwin has put all the batsmen on notice that it was his first and final warning of the season.While bowling the third over in the second innings, Ashwin had stopped short of delivering what would have been the fourth delivery and went through his action without letting go of the ball with Finch well out the crease.Ashwin, captaining the Kings XI Punjab last season, had run out the Rajasthan Royals’ Jos Buttler in similar circumstances, sparking a familiar spirit-of-cricket debate over the dismissal that is within the laws and yet draws criticism from some – among the latter is the Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting.Finch, on 12 when the incident occurred, had ventured well out of the crease before the ball was delivered with his eyes on his partner Devdutt Padikkal. Ashwin, having caught Finch a few steps down the pitch, offered a wry smile. Umpire Nitin Menon alerted Finch about it and the cameras immediately panned to the Capitals dugout to show Ponting, who was also smiling. Ponting had publicly disagreed with Ashwin’s stance on this type of dismissal even before this IPL had started.After the game, Ashwin tweeted that his actions were his “first and final warning” to offending batsmen for the season. Ashwin had been tweeting about the issue before the season started, suggesting bowlers get a “free ball” if non-strikers were found backing up too much. Ponting, in turn, had said he would have a “hard conversation” with the spinner about the matter upon reaching the UAE.Ponting had said on a podcast, the , in August: “Look, he’s a terrific bowler, and he’s done a great job in IPL for a long period of time now, but I must admit watching that last season [Ashwin running out Buttler], as soon as it happened and he did that, I actually sat our boys down and said ‘look, I know he’s done it, there’ll be others around the tournament who’ll think about doing this well, but that’s not going to be the way that we play our cricket, we won’t be doing that’.”So that’s going to be a conversation and that’s going to be a hard conversation I will have to have with him, but I’m pretty sure he’ll take it on the chin. I think, even him, looking back now, he will probably say it was within the rules and he’s right to do it, but this is not within the spirit of the game, not in the way I want, at least with the Delhi Capitals anyway.”That Buttler dismissal led to a big controversy with the MCC calling Ashwin’s pause before delivering against the spirit of cricket. Incidentally, Ponting sits on the MCC’s World Cricket Committee. He has been the coach of the Capitals since 2018, and Ashwin joined the franchise between the 2019 and 2020 seasons.Ashwin had said after the Buttler dismissal that his actions were “instinctive” but pointed out that he had stayed within the laws of the game.”There’s ways that you can actually stop batsmen cheating like that,” Ponting said on the podcast. “If the bowler was to stop and the batsman was a foot out of his crease for instance, you just penalise him some runs or something. Do that and then they won’t do it again. You’ve only got to do that once at the start of a tournament and then all the players see it, and I guarantee that players won’t be fudging any ground from there on.”