At a glance
- Anderson – leading wicket taker in County Cricket
- 43-year-old – 21 wickets @ 12.09
- Lancashire face Durham this week in County Championship
Lancashire head coach Steven Croft is unsure whether skipper Jimmy Anderson can play in this week’s County Championship match at Durham.
Anderson so far this season.
Jimmy Anderson has been on fire so far this season. The 43-year-old has taken 21 wickets at 12.06 in three Championship games. He produced a typical Anderson performance with a match winning 4-18 in the second innings against Derbyshire as they were bowled out for 108, chasing 138 to win.
Lancashire sit top of the County Championship Division Two table, with 54 points with two wins and a draw. They travel to Chester-le-Street to take on Durham, starting on Friday.
“A 21-year-old would be feeling it”
Anderson has bowled one ball shy of 100 overs across 12 days of cricket over three weeks so far this season. Quite rightly, Lancashire are a little concerned about pushing him too far.
Speaking with BBC Radio Lancashire, Croft said:
“I think it’s a bit of a waiting game. Jimmy’s in incredible condition at the minute, but obviously the body is going to be creaking a little bit. The performance he’s not just put in on Sunday, but in the whole season so far, a 21-year-old would be feeling it. Hopefully, he can be fit, but we’ll just have to assess in the next few days.”
After their game with Durham, Lancashire have their bye week. That could be a reason why Anderson might play this round against Durham.
Two players who will definitely not feature are opener Luke Wells, who has a dislocated shoulder, and fast bowler Ajeet Singh Dale, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury. Dale is also ineligible to play after being replaced under the new ECB replacement ruling.
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