Veteran fast bowler James Anderson delivered a vintage performance for Lancashire in the Vitality T20 Blast, picking up three wickets while maintaining a tight economy against Durham. Making his return to the format after nearly 11 years, the 41-year-old ended with impressive figures of 3 for 17, playing a key role in limiting Durham to 150 for 6.
Anderson, whose last T20 appearance was in August 2014, made an early breakthrough by dismissing Graham Clark (10) and later returned to remove Alex Lees (16) and Colin Ackermann (18). Although he had registered for the IPL 2025 mega auction, he remained unsold.
Over the years, Anderson’s international commitments have limited his availability for Lancashire. However, he did feature in a County Championship match in 2024, where he claimed 7 for 35. Since retiring from international cricket, he has taken on a consultancy role with the England men’s team.
14 runs and a wicket for James Anderson in the 2 overs as of now on his T20 return. Good stuff.
Here's his latest T20 wicket. https://t.co/ngeBQCeWmA pic.twitter.com/MN5nrC3NPO
— Aman Patel (@lilbrownykid) June 1, 2025
Lancashire made just one change to their lineup from their May 31 win over Nottinghamshire, bringing in James Anderson in place of Mitch Stanley. Anderson’s inclusion added valuable experience, accuracy, and control to a team that had already recorded victories over Worcestershire and Nottinghamshire, making a strong start to their T20 Blast campaign.
Anderson Redeems 2014 Final Nightmare with Remarkable T20 Comeback After 11 Years
Anderson’s previous T20 appearance came in the 2014 Blast final, where he had a difficult outing against Warwickshire, conceding 52 runs in four overs without taking a wicket. Lancashire narrowly lost that game by four runs. Eleven years later, the difference in his performance was remarkable.
James Anderson has played 44 T20s, taking 41 wickets at an average of 32.14 and an economy of 8.47, representing only Lancashire and England. Post-Test retirement, he expressed interest in franchise T20 leagues.
“There’s plenty of things to think about and I just need to sit down and chat to people about it,” he said. “I watch The Hundred and see the ball swinging around in the first 20 balls, and I think, ‘I can do that. I can still do that.’ I don’t know if that is a viable option – to maybe see if I could do a job in white-ball cricket. Franchise cricket is something I’ve never done.”
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
