As James Anderson got a length delivery to bounce and catch the edge of Azhar Ali’s bat on Tuesday afternoon, he joined an exclusive club.
The list of people to have joined this club is a fairly short one, Anil Kumble, Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan are the only other bowlers to have achieved the feat of 600 test wickets. This short list, now expanded to four members, is notable for its lack of an entire subset of cricketer. Until Tuesday no pace bowler had made it to 600 wickets.
This achievement alone is staggering but it is once again time to sound the *stats only tell us so much* klaxon and explore some aspects of Anderson’s career that numbers can’t tell us.
James Anderson made his Test debut in 2003 against Zimbabwe at Lords as an exciting but fairly green quick bowler and promptly picked up five wickets. His first outing in Test match cricket was to prove a bit of an omen to the next few years of his career. For the next few years Anderson would be in and out of the side, sometimes putting in match-winning performances, others looking slightly flat and expensive.
After many injury marred years hindered further by a constant remodelling of his action, 2008 was finally the year when Anderson’s abilities were properly showcased. A then career best 7/43 against New Zealand followed and by the end of 2008 Anderson was a permanent feature in England’s bowling attack.
By the time 2010 rolled around the Lancastrian was the established leader of the English attack and against Pakistan he was able to show the qualities needed for such a role. Across the year he took 57 wickets at an average of 22, fully announcing himself among the world’s best.
Since 2010 the statistical wonders have kept coming, 112 matches since the turn of the decade have yielded 452 wickets at an average of just 24. Since 2015, however, there have been 220 victims coming at just 21 each. These numbers highlight how many chapters Anderson’s career has turned over.
Many people would resign themselves to a career as a one-day specialist and county stalwart had they met with as many obstacles as Anderson has had to hurdle in his long career. With numerous injuries and time spent with biomechanics tinkering with his technique, it was sheer bloody-mindedness that drove him through this period to emerge as one of the world’s best.
Anderson is a bizarre entrant into the G.O.A.T conversation, with a strike rate and average that don’t match up with the other names commonly mentioned.
Should we take the numbers produced in this stellar career since turning 30 years old, the numbers match up with and even trump other greats of the game. Since turning 30 Anderson has 332 wickets, more than Bob Willis and Fred Trueman. Should we take out every wicket he has taken in countries outside of England, there would still only be one bowler with more wickets overall.
So, if his average and strike rate – good barometers of true quality – don’t stack up as favourably with the other names in the conversation as he would like, what marks Anderson out as a true great?
The pure single mindedness and willingness to adapt and overcome various situations with a fresh, fire-in-the-belly hunger for more have marked Anderson’s rise to the top of the pile.
156 Test Matches is a ludicrous total to have played, for anyone, let alone someone leading the field in one of sports toughest physical and mental assignments.
Many will pull up the argument that, had Glenn McGrath, Curtly Ambrose, Dennis Lillee or another G.O.A.T contender played the same number of games, they would have more wickets. This is true and no one will be more aware of this than Anderson, the fact remains, they didn’t.
For now, let’s just put aside the comparisons and accept this achievement for what it is. A staggering testament to his longevity and adaptability over a number of years, and most importantly as the history books are written, the first among his kind.
So, as we look back upon a stellar career and ponder what comes next, isn’t it nice basking in the glory of a history rewriting achievement? For so many years we have taken it for granted that we will look down at BBC Sport and read “Anderson strikes early as England start well”. We have followed an incredible career and many English fans will feel it represents a microcosm of their own life growing up. For once we can put analytics aside and all reflect in an achievement we have been lucky to witness.
Congratulations Jimmy.
By Michael Vince